I had just seen a retro ad for Coca-Cola, and it took me back to the cola wars of the 80s. Coke vs. Pepsi. It was an earlier era, before personal computers, cell phones, wide spread cable TV or streaming services. There were fewer cultural distractions, so people could get really excited about what brand of soda they preferred/would die for. I was an inveterate Coke drinker and sneered at Pepsi with its sickly sweet taste. Part of my preference may have been influenced by the fact that my grandmother was from Atlanta, home of Coca-Cola, and she wasn’t supposed to drink it in the early 1900s because it contained “dope” i.e. cocaine. However the actual use of measurable cocaine in Coca-Cola was ended in 1903, though rumors of it as an ingredient continued for many years.
Pepsi, a perpetual number two, decided to make a serious run at Coke. In 1975 Pepsi introduced “The Pepsi Challenge,” a blind taste test between Coke and Pepsi. More people preferred Pepsi because of the appeal of that initial sweet taste. By the early 80s the cola wars were fully engaged. The Pepsi Challenge had significantly cut into Coke’s market share. Coke’s diet cola, Tab, was marketed specifically to women. I can attest that the after taste was horrible, but I drank it sometimes because by 1981 my system couldn’t tolerate the sugar shock of regular Coca Cola. I was initially high and then depressed. A compressed version of manic/depression.
I was very happy when Diet Coke was introduced in 1982. The ad campaign showed brawny constructions workers and professional male athletes swigging Diet Coke as if they were imbibing a fine whiskey. This was no drink for wusses. They sold a ton of Diet Coke world wide, and I could tolerate a bearable aftertaste without holding a pink can. (Now I can’t live without that diet aftertaste). Regular Coca Cola and Diet Coke were again slamming Pepsi in market share, so of course the Coke people decided to commit product suicide.
In early 1985 the folks at Coke had a big roll-out for a new version, New Coke. They didn’t have enough sense to also keep the old Coke formula. New Coke mirrored the sweeter taste of Pepsi, and supposedly was taste tested with thousands of approving subjects. However, they didn’t bother to tell the rest of the Coke world what they were doing. Pandemonium resulted. “Where is our old Coke? How could you do this to us? If we wanted the Pepsi taste we would buy Pepsi.” Pepsi seized the moment and put out ads saying they, Pepsi, had won the cola wars because Coke had now adopted their taste. So you should just buy Pepsi, the real thing, stealing Coke’s own promo line.
After being battered by petitions and hate mail, Coke relented, and after a few months brought back old Coke as Coca-Cola Classic. They kept New Coke for a few years, but it never outsold old Coke. The irony is that because of the brouhaha, old Coke’s sales skyrocketed when it was brought back, because fans wanted to show their appreciation for the return of this hallowed drink. Then Pepsi decided to shoot themselves in the foot by introducing Crystal Pepsi.
In 1992 Pepsi thought a clear version of its flagship drink would be a big seller. Same Pepsi (minus caffeine) just clear instead of the normal cola color. Well, Crystal Pepsi was dead and gone within a year. People couldn’t reconcile Pepsi taste with a clear product. Did not compute. It was like when my college roommates didn’t appreciate my cooking, so I made the mashed potatoes blue. Same potatoes, different color. They didn’t touch them.
The Coke/Pepsi cola wars continue with different variations of the core product, but both companies have so diversified in product offerings that Coke and Pepsi aren’t the whole portfolio. The Coca-Cola Company also owns Sprite, Fanta, Minute Maid, Nestea, Powerade, Vitamin Water, and energy drinks such as Monster Beverages. Pepsico owns both beverage and snack brands such as Mountain Dew, Lay's, Gatorade, Tropicana, 7 Up, Doritos, Brisk, Quaker Foods, and Cheetos.
There is still fierce product loyalty for Coke and Pepsi drinkers. Some will even avoid restaurants, fast food joints and convenience store soda fountains where their chosen brand is not available. As I have grown older and wiser, I just avoid the discussion altogether. I drink Dr. Pepper.