Throwback Thursday- Crystal Pepsi

Every now and again, you see a company roll out a new product that promises to be "the future" of this, that, and the other thing. More times than not, it's a phone, computer, television, appliance, etc. I can't remember too many times when a soda company said, "this is the future". Let me rephrase that; I can't remember too many times when a soda company said, "this is the future", and it was actually successful. Aside from "New Coke", the most highlighted futuristic soda was Crystal Pepsi.

I remember being a kid and being handed a Pepsi. The only thing was, it looked like a Sprite, and I was confused. I thought it tasted pretty much the same, as much as I can remember a soda from 20 years ago. In fact, I liked it quite a bit. Pepsi really believed they were on to something in 1992, when they rolled out a crystal clear cola. This was the caffeine free cola, and I suppose they figured it would be good competition for caffeine free Coke. In fact, it would be spectacular competition because it stood out.

People are always looking for a healthier version of everything; a purer, cleaner version of basically any product on the shelf. Pepsico took the hint, and developed this as the "alternative to cola". After testing the product in Dallas, Providence, Denver, and Sacramento, the company was pleased with the results and decided to start distributing the drink nation-wide. What I remember most about Crystal Pepsi, aside from the fact that it was so different from anything else out there, was that classic commercial featuring, "Right Now" by Van Halen that aired during Super Bowl 27.

With people being so interested in the product, they rushed out to the stores to pick some up. As a result, the sales were high and Pepsi believed they had a hit on their hands. In fact, the Coca-Cola Company launched Tab Clear, a sugar free, calorie free soft drink, similar to Crystal Pepsi. However, after the initial success of the product, Pepsico saw a huge decline in sales. In late 1993, Pepsi changed the formula, and re-introduced Crystal Pepsi as a citrus flavored drink. They also changed the name to "Crystal From Pepsi". This was a failure and by the end of 1993, Crystal Pepsi was gone. Tab Clear was discontinued in 1994.

There are a couple of theories as to why Crystal Pepsi didn't succeed. The first being that, apparently, it just didn't taste as good as regular Pepsi. Another was that people simply weren't ready for it. The biggest theory, and probably most likely, was that the product was just too damn confusing. People associate colas with having a dark color. They associate lemon-lime flavored sodas as being clear. Some people believed that it was a mix of cola and citrus.

The truth is, they just didn't understand what it was, and it scared them away. Part of it as well was the fad. It sold well early, like any other product that is heavily advertised, then once people get their fill, they walk away. I also remember as a kid, this was around the same time that the "soda is really bad for you" argument came to light. While I know people had been saying it for years, this is the first time I personally remember hearing about it.

Then something interesting happened in 2005. Pepsi sold a product in Mexico called "Pepsi Clear". It was a limited time product, as are most of Pepsi's gimmicks. People started to get excited though, because they started to believe that Crystal Pepsi was coming back. In fact, Pepsico filed for trademarks on Pepsi Clear and Diet Pepsi Clear in 2008. Believe it or not, Crystal Pepsi's cult following has been very vocal over the last few years, demanding the product's return to your local store. To take it one step further, Crystal Pepsi currently sells on e-bay, and people are still buying them and cracking them open (although, I would keep it as a conversation piece, rather than drink 20 year old soda). Rallies and online petitions have been responsible for tens of thousands of people voicing their need for their favorite soda. The trademark tactic in 2008 brought people that much closer to Crystal Pepsi.

However, Pepsico has decided to back out of the clear cola race. In late 2010, Pepsi abandoned the trademarks on Pepsi Clear and Diet Pepsi Clear. Unfortunately, the rallies and petitions just weren't enough, and after the initial failure of Crystal Pepsi, it seems as if the company isn't willing to roll the dice on it a second time. To me, that's a pretty funny thing, considering some of the real flops they've released in recent history:

Pepsi Holiday Spice, the cola infused with cinnamon.

Pepsi Blue, berry and cola flavored soda. It tasted like Bart Simpson's all syrup Super Squishee.

Pepsi Summer Mix, a tropical fruit flavored bottle of battery acid.

Pepsi Mojito, a lime flavored cola with a hint of mint. No rum though, so what the hell's the point?

Those were only a couple of gems that I have the misfortune of sampling. They have some really outrageous ones overseas that I will never get to try, and wouldn't want to even if I could. Here's the short list of vomit inducing flavors: Pepsi Ice Cream, Pepsi Cappuccino, Pepsi Ice Cucumber, Pepsi White (this one's YOGURT flavored!). The list goes on and on and on.

Now believe it or not, I am a HUGE Pepsi fan despite the things I had to say about some of those products, but can you blame me? Yogurt flavored soda? I have always preferred Pepsi over Coke because it's a little sweeter. I also love Pepsi Throwback, probably the best product Pepsi has rolled out in years. In fact, Pepsi Throwback was meant to be a limited time item, but it has done so well that Pepsi has added it to the rotation of colas currently available. I'll take all the natural ingredients I can get, and I'll gladly have sugar over high-fructose corn syrup any day of the week.

Being a fan of the brand and a fan of the throwbacks, I really wished they had kept with the Pepsi Clear concept. Honestly, I believe the product would have been a big success. I stated before that most people weren't ready for Crystal Pepsi 20 years ago. I think they would be ready for it now. If you marketed it as a Throwback flavor, it would probably fly off the shelves.  I also think you could roll it out as a sugar free beverage, and it would do well. Like I said, people are always looking for a healthier alternative. Although looking down the soda aisle is probably the last place you should be looking, I think the product would appeal to most people and sell. The retro feeling alone would make it a hit.

I found a video on YouTube showing you how to make your own Crystal Pepsi. While the process seems to be painfully time consuming, you can give it a try if you feel the need.

I hope that one day we see the product return. I think it would be a fun jolt of nostalgia in a world crying out for the "good ol' days". It would be fun to remember the camping trips, sleepovers, play dates, and BBQ spent sipping on Crystal Pepsi. I would love to see another Throwback drink from Pepsi as well, and this is the only one that would make sense. But let's be real, we'll see Pepsi Pepto-Bismol before we see Crystal Pepsi again.   

 

-Sean
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