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Pepsi Cola
The History of Pepsi Cola
by Mary Bellis
Pepsi Cola is one of the most recognizable products in the world
today, almost as famous for its commercials as for its never-ending battle with
rival soft drink Coca-Cola.
From its humble origins more than 125 years ago in a North Carolina
pharmacy, Pepsi has grown into a product available in multiple formulations.
Find out how this simple soda became a player in the Cold War and
became a pop star's best friend.
Humble Origins
The original formula for what would become Pepsi Cola was invented in
1893 by pharmacist Caleb Bradham of New Bern, N.C.
Like many pharmacists at the time, he operated a soda fountain in his drugstore, where he
served drinks that he created himself.
His most popular beverage was something he called "Brad's
drink," a mix of sugar, water, caramel, lemon oil, kola nuts, nutmeg, and
other additives.
As the beverage caught on, Bradham decided to give it a snappier name,
eventually settling on Pepsi-Cola.
By the summer of 1903, he had trademarked the name and was selling his
soda syrup to pharmacies and other vendors throughout North Carolina.
By the end of 1910, franchisers were selling Pepsi in 24 states.
At first, Pepsi had been marketed as a digestive aid, appealing to
consumers with the slogan, "Exhilarating, Invigorating, Aids
Digestion."
But as the brand flourished, the company switched tactics and decided
instead to use the power of celebrity to sell Pepsi.
In 1913, Pepsi hired Barney Oldfield, a famous racecar driver of the
era, as a spokesman. He became famous for his slogan "Drink Pepsi-Cola. It
Will Satisfy You."
The company would continue to use celebrities to appeal to buyers in
the coming decades.
Bankruptcy and Revival
After years of success, Caleb Bradham lost Pepsi Cola.
He had gambled on the fluctuations of sugar prices during World War I,
believing that sugar prices would continue to rise — but they fell instead,
leaving Caleb Bradham with an overpriced sugar inventory.
Pepsi Cola went bankrupt in 1923.
In 1931, after passing through the hands of several investors, Pepsi
Cola was bought by the Loft Candy Co.
Charles G. Guth, Loft's president, struggled to make a success of
Pepsi during the depths of the Great Depression. At one point, Loft even
offered to sell Pepsi to executives at Coke, who refused to offer a bid.
Guth reformulated Pepsi and began selling the soda in 12-ounce bottles
for just 5 cents, which was twice as much as what Coke offered in its 6-ounce
bottles.
Touting Pepsi as "twice as much for a nickel," Pepsi scored
an unexpected hit as its "Nickel Nickel" radio jingle became the
first to be broadcast coast to coast.
Eventually, it would be recorded in 55 languages and named one of the
most effective ads of the 20th century by Advertising Age.
Pepsi Postwar
Pepsi made sure it had a reliable supply of sugar during World War II,
and the drink became a familiar sight to U.S. troops fighting all across the
globe.
In the years after the war, the brand would remain long after American
GIs had gone home.
Back in the States, Pepsi embraced the postwar years.
Company president Al Steele married actress Joan Crawford, and she
frequently touted Pepsi during corporate gatherings and visits to local
bottlers throughout the 1950s.
By the early 1960s, companies like Pepsi had set their sights on the
Baby Boomers.
The first ads appealing to young people called "the Pepsi
Generation" arrived, followed in 1964 by the company's first diet
soda, also targeted at young people.
The company was changing in different ways. Pepsi acquired the
Mountain Dew brand in 1964 and a year later merged with snack-maker Frito-Lay.
The Pepsi brand was growing up quickly. By the 1970s, this once
failing brand was threatening to displace Coca-Cola as the top soda brand in
the U.S.
Pepsi even made international headlines in 1974 when it became the
first U.S. product to be produced and sold within the U.S.S.R.
A New Generation
Throughout the late 1970s and early '80s, "Pepsi Generation"
ads continued to appeal to young drinkers while also targeting older consumers
with a series of "Pepsi Challenge" commercials and in-store tastings.
Pepsi broke new ground in 1984 when it hired Michael Jackson, who was
in the midst of his "Thriller" success, to be its spokesman.
The TV commercials, rivaling Jackson's elaborate music videos, were
such a hit that Pepsi would hire a number of well-known musicians, celebrities,
and others throughout the decade, including Tina Turner, Joe Montana, Michael
J. Fox, and Geraldine Ferraro.
Pepsi's efforts were successful enough that in 1985 Coke announced
that it was changing its signature formula.
"New Coke" was such a disaster that the company had to
backtrack and reintroduce its "classic" formula, something Pepsi
frequently took credit for.
But in 1992, Pepsi would suffer a product failure of its own when the
spin-off Crystal Pepsi failed to impress Generation X buyers. It soon was
discontinued.
Pepsi Today
Like its rivals, the Pepsi brand has diversified far beyond what Caleb
Bradham could ever have imagined.
In addition to the classic Pepsi Cola, consumers can also find Diet
Pepsi, plus varieties without caffeine, without corn syrup, flavored with
cherry or vanilla, even an 1893 brand that celebrates its original heritage.
The company has also branched out into the lucrative sports drink
market with the Gatorade brand, as well as Aquafina bottled water, Amp energy
drinks, and Starbucks coffee beverages.
Mary
Bellis
New
York-based film producer and director
Singled
out by Forbes magazine for her writing on inventors.
Known
in art and independent film circles by the name CalmX
Creator
of computer-generated art
Experience
Mary
Bellis was a former writer for ThoughtCo, where she covered inventors for 18
years. She was a freelance writer, film producer, and director. In
addition, Forbes Best of the Web credited her for creating the number one
online destination for information about inventors and inventions. Her
writing has been reprinted and referenced in numerous educational books and
articles. She was known for her short independent films and
documentaries, including one on Alexander Graham Bell. She specialized in
making and exhibiting computer-generated art, while working as an animator,
journalist and an independent video game developer. She died on March 28,
2015.
Education
Mary
Bellis held a Master of Fine Arts in film and animation from the San
Francisco Art Institute.
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