Buzz
From unforgettable ads starring Michael Jackson and Ray Charles to its legendary competition with Coca-Cola, Pepsi has cemented its place in pop culture over its 120-year history. Dive into these 11 intriguing tidbits about the soda that has refreshed countless fans for decades.
1. PEPSI-COLA WAS ORIGINALLY KNOWN AS "BRAD'S DRINK."
Caleb Davis Bradham, a pharmacist from North Carolina, created Pepsi-Cola. In 1893, he started serving a concoction called “Brad’s Drink” at his drugstore’s soda fountain. The recipe included sugar, water, caramel, lemon oil, nutmeg, kola nuts, and other ingredients. By 1898, Bradham rebranded the drink as Pepsi Cola, inspired by its supposed ability to aid digestion and relieve dyspepsia.
2. WORLD WAR I NEARLY DESTROYED THE COMPANY.
During the war, sugar prices skyrocketed, and Bradham decided to stockpile it, anticipating further price hikes. Unfortunately, his gamble backfired, leading to bankruptcy in 1923. The company was eventually acquired by the Loft Candy Company in 1931.
3. PEPSI SURVIVED BY PROVIDING DOUBLE THE COLA FOR THE SAME PRICE.
During the Great Depression, while others sold 6-ounce bottles for a nickel, Pepsi introduced 12-ounce bottles at the same price. This strategy doubled their profits, and a memorable jingle ensured customers always remembered the value.
4. SOFIA VERGARA LANDED HER FIRST ACTING ROLE THANKS TO PEPSI.
The Modern Family actress was just 17 when she appeared in her debut commercial. This 30-second Pepsi ad, broadcast in South America, showed Vergara in a bikini struggling to cross hot sand to reach a Pepsi cart. Vergara credits the ad for launching her fame and leading to her role as a Diet Pepsi spokesperson in 2011.
5. PEPSI PIONEERED THE USE OF TWO-LITER BOTTLES IN THE SOFT DRINK INDUSTRY.
Mike Mozart, Flickr // CC BY 2.0
In the 1970s, Nathaniel Wyeth invented a bottle made of polyethylene terephthalate, which was lighter than glass, shatterproof, and safe for storing beverages. By 1976, Pepsi had adopted these larger bottles, making them widely available to consumers.
6. PEPSI HAD ITS OWN MASCOTS IN JAPAN.
In the 1990s, Pepsi Japan collaborated with Canadian comic book artist Travis Charest to design a character for their TV ads. Charest created Pepsiman, a faceless superhero who delivered Pepsi to those in need. Later, Pepsiwoman appeared in a Diet Pepsi Twist ad, and a 1999 video game featured Pepsiman navigating obstacles to deliver the drink to fans.
7. THERE ARE COUNTLESS PEPSI VARIETIES YOU LIKELY HAVEN'T TRIED.
Peter Cooper, Flickr // CC BY-SA 2.0
As a global brand, Pepsi has tested unique formulas in various markets and released limited-edition flavors for holidays and special occasions. In Japan, flavors like azuki bean, strawberry milk, shiso, cucumber, baobao tree fruit, yogurt, and salty watermelon have been introduced.
8. PEPSI PIONEERED SKYWRITING FOR ADVERTISING.
In 1932, Pepsi enlisted pilot Andy Stinis to skywrite their brand name across U.S. cities, supported by print ads in local newspapers announcing the arrival of the Pepsi-Cola Skypilot. Over the next decade, nearly 14 skywriters worked for Pepsi, crafting around 2,225 messages across the United States, Mexico, Canada, Cuba, and South America by 1940.
9. PEPSI HOLDS NEARLY 500 PATENTS, INCLUDING ONE FOR A TENNIS RACKET.
During the mid-1970s, PepsiCo secured a patent for a tennis racket designed by Douglas E. Dempsey and Gerald F. Herndon. The racket replaced traditional wood and nylon with a “synthetic resinous material reinforced with high modulus fibers.” Its frame featured two interlocking channel-shaped pieces with aligned holes for stringing.
10. PEPSI-COLA WAS THE FIRST AMERICAN PRODUCT PRODUCED, PROMOTED, AND DISTRIBUTED IN THE SOVIET UNION.
At the 1959 Moscow trade exhibition, Richard Nixon, who was friends with a Pepsi executive, persuaded Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev to try the drink. This led to a partnership, and by 1972, Pepsi was officially sold in the U.S.S.R.
11. PEPSI HAS UNDERGONE 11 LOGO CHANGES IN ITS 122-YEAR HISTORY.
The now-famous globe emblem wasn’t introduced until the 1950s, when a stylized script logo was paired with a circular bottle cap design featuring red, white, and blue swirls. By the 1960s, “cola” was dropped, and the script gave way to bold lettering. Every subsequent logo has incorporated the globe, with the latest update, a $1 million redesign by the Arnell Group, accompanied by a detailed 27-page design brief.
