Diet Coke Taps Into BookTok With Interactive Literary Taste Map

Award-winning Author Elizabeth Day and the internet's “resident librarian” Jack Edwards, have teamed up with Diet Coke to launch BookMarks, a new interactive literary taste map helping readers across the UK and Ireland discover, share and claim the reading spots that make their Diet Coke break feel perfectly matched to their book.

Diet Coke BookMarks is a crowd-sourced map powered by some of the UK’s biggest reading tastemakers, with over 100 readers across the UK and Ireland having already sharing their favourite spots. Early BookMarks include Elizabeth Day’s recommendation to read a classic in Vauxhall Park in London while Jack pairs historical literacy fiction with Palace Green in Durham thanks to its atmospheric setting.

Map data also reveals how different genres inspire different reading destinations, from Thriller readers drawn to the windswept marshes of Tollesbury in Essex and the unsuspecting hilltop village in Freshford, Somerset, perfect to experience a plot twist. Whereas Romance fans are choosing dreamy coastal escapes like Porthcothan Bay in Cornwall and leafy London hideaways in Richmond Park, made for getting lost in a love story.

The BookMarks map connects personal taste, location and literature, giving readers a stylish way to own their break, escape into a story and enjoy a crisp, ice-cold Diet Coke wherever the mood takes them.

The Diet Coke BookMarks Map launches as the online Bookcore trend continues to grow, generating over 83.4 million posts on TikTok to date, while more than 50 million #BookTok-recommended books were sold across Europe last year¹.

Reading has also evolved from a solitary pastime into an immersive lifestyle ritual, with new research from Diet Coke revealing four in ten UK adults (40%) have read a book recommended by a social media community such as BookTok in the past year, rising to almost three-quarters (73%) of 18–24-year-olds. and more than a quarter (28%) have deliberately taken a book to a specific reading spot inspired by its genre or aesthetic, with a further 41% saying they have not done so but would like to.

Crime Thriller emerged as the most popular genre, with 33% saying it is their go-to choice, while 37% say spending time in a highly atmospheric location has inspired them to try a completely new genre. Yet finding the right spot is not always easy, with 59% admitting they struggle to find somewhere that perfectly matches the vibe, mood or genre of the story they want to dive into. Reading is also a reflection of personal taste, with 59% agreeing that what and where they read says something about their identity.

The research also reveals the places Brits most feel their reading experience is enhanced; from remote, quiet or off-grid spots (37%) and parks or green spaces (33%) to dramatic coastlines or beaches (31%) and cosy cafés or independent bookshops (30%).

Elizabeth Day commented: “For me, reading has always been the ultimate escape, but the place I read can completely change how I experience a book. My BookMark is Vauxhall Park; a peaceful enclave in the center of a city, with plenty of benches so there is always somewhere to sit. I love reading a good classic here. The smell of lavender in the breeze and being surrounded by trees is so meditative. It makes me feel like I’m in the book. And with a crisp, ice-cold Diet Coke, it’s my perfect way to step away from the everyday”.

Jack Edwards added: “The way we read has completely transformed. Reading is no longer just a solo activity; it’s a way to connect, a conversation starter and a marker of taste. BookMarks celebrates that culture and gives readers a way to discover, share and claim the spots that make their reading break feel more immersive.”

Aisling Wilde, Senior Brand Manager at Diet Coke GB&I said: “A Diet Coke break has always been about taking a crisp, refreshing moment for yourself. By bringing together taste, tastemakers and the places that make a story feel even better, BookMarks gives fans a new way to romanticise their downtime, express their personal taste and enjoy a good book with an ice-cold Diet Coke.”

Spotlighting personal passions, Diet Coke’s BookMarks campaign encourages fans to proudly express their unique tastes, own their Diet Coke break and make every day reading moments feel anything but everyday.

Scan the QR codes on Diet Coke cans to visit the BookMarks website today to claim your own BookMark, explore reading spots by genre.

You can also follow the conversation at @DietCokeGBI #ThisIsMyTaste.