With the intention of streamlining production, Coca-Cola (KO  ) is discontinuing Tab, its first ever diet soda, after nearly 60 years (57 to be exact). This move comes as a response to a changing economic landscape due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Over the years, Tab has seemed to garner polarized opinions, either very positive or very negative. For longtime Tab enthusiasts, like Robert Bixby, executive director of the Concord Coalition, the discontinuation of Tab is difficult. "Tab had an amazing run," Bixby said. "As a business decision I can understand it, but it's a very sad day . . . I do feel it's like losing a friend."

Even the chairman of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), Ajit Pai, weighed in on Twitter (TWTR  ) about Tab with a lighthearted tone. "We've withstood so many of the difficulties and disruptions that 2020 has thrown our way," said Pai, "but this is a really big blow."

Having acquired a significant fan base during the 1970s and 1980s, Tab maintained a small but dedicated following over the years. With the advent of Diet Coke in 1982, however, Tab became less popular as Diet Coke soared to become the fourth best-selling soft drink in the United States within one year of release.

In fact, according to Mashed, Tab maintained less than 1% share of the soft drink market by 2001. And by 2019, compared to Diet Coke, Tab represented 0.1% of the diet soda market.

Another possible reason for the fall in popularity of Tab over the years is that the diet product was originally marketed toward women using a pink can and relying on other rather outdated gender tropes that, especially through the eyes of society today, may seem sexist.

While Coke's move to discontinue Tab comes as a response to the coronavirus pandemic in an attempt to streamline operations, the company actually began eliminating "underperforming" products even before the pandemic hit.

As a matter of fact, Coca-Cola is currently working to eliminate over 200 brands altogether, more than half of its products. Some other brands that will also soon be on the way out include Odwalla juices and Zico coconut water, according to previous announcements.