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Pepsi was first introduced as "Brad's Drink" in New Bern, North Carolina, United States, in 1893 by Caleb Bradham, who made it at his drugstore where the drink was sold. It was renamed Pepsi-Cola in 1898 after the root of the word "dyspepsia" and the kola nuts used in the recipe. The original recipe also included sugar and vanilla. Bradham sought to create a fountain drink that was appealing and would aid in digestion and boost energy.
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In 1903, Bradham moved the bottling of Pepsi-Cola from his drugstore to a rented warehouse. That year, Bradham sold 7,968 gallons of syrup. The next year, Pepsi was sold in six-ounce bottles, and sales increased to 19,848 gallons. The first celebrity to endorse Pepsi-Cola, described it as "A bully drink...refreshing, invigorating, a fine bracer before a race." The advertising theme "Delicious and Healthful" was then used over the next two decades.
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In 1931, at the depth of the Great Depression, the Pepsi-Cola Company entered bankruptcy in large part due to financial losses Assets were sold and Roy C. Megargel bought the Pepsi trademark. He sought to replace Coca-Cola at his stores' fountains after The Coca-Cola Company refused to give him a discount on syrup. Guth then had Loft's chemists reformulate the Pepsi-Cola syrup formula.
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During the Great Depression, Pepsi-Cola gained popularity following the introduction in 1936 of a 12-ounce bottle. With a radio advertising campaigns. Pepsi encouraged price-watching consumers to switch, obliquely referring to the Coca-Cola standard of 6.5 ounces per bottle for the price of five cents instead of the 12 ounces Pepsi sold at the same price. Coming at a time of economic crisis, the campaign succeeded in boosting Pepsi's status. From 1936 to 1938, Pepsi-Cola's profits doubled.
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Created in Tennessee in the late 1940s, Mountain Dew quickly became a regional favorite for its one-of-a-kind citrus taste. We acquired the brand in 1964 and it has since become the No. 1 flavored carbonated soft drink in measured channels in the US.
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In 1947, Walter Mack resumed his efforts hiring Edward F. Boyd to lead a twelve-man team. They came up with advertising portraying black Americans in a positive light, such as one with a smiling mother holding a six pack of Pepsi while her son (a young Ron Brown, who grew up to be Secretary of Commerce) reaches up for one. Another ad campaign, titled "Leaders in Their Fields", profiled twenty prominent African Americans such as Nobel Peace Prize winner Ralph Bunche and photographer Gordon Parks.
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This focus on the market for black people caused some consternation within the company and among its affiliates. It did not want to seem focused on black customers for fear white customers would be pushed away. In a national meeting, Mack tried to assuage the 500 bottlers in attendance by pandering to them, saying "We don't want it to become known as a nigger drink." After Mack left the company in 1950, support for the black sales team faded and it was cut.
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Pepsi became the first national cola to offer a no-calorie option to consumers when Diet Pepsi was introduced in 1964.
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In 1991, PepsiCo teamed up with Unilever LLC to launch Lipton ready-to-drink iced teas. Today the Pepsi/Lipton Partnership offers a full range of unsweetened, no-calorie, low-calorie and sweetened iced teas under the Lipton Iced Tea, Brisk and Pure Leaf brands.
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In 1994, we entered a joint venture with Starbucks to market ready-to-drink coffee under the North American Coffee Partnership. Product offerings include bottled Starbucks Frappuccino, Starbucks Doubleshot, Starbucks Refreshers, Starbucks Iced Coffees and Starbucks Discoveries.
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In 1994, PepsiCo entered the bottled water market with Aquafina, which is purified using a proprietary seven-step reverse osmosis process known as Hydro-7 to guarantee purity and taste.
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In 1998, we acquired Tropicana, including Dole juice brands, making PepsiCo the leader in the 100% juice and juice drink category.
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In 2000, as consumers were looking to get more than refreshment from their beverages, we acquired SoBe Teas and Elixirs a range of drinks that offer unique flavor blends combined with vitamins and botantical ingredients.
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n 2001, we acquired Gatorade, the original sports performance drink. With a scientifically proven blend of carbohydrates and key electrolytes, Gatorade Thirst Quencher is designed for use in the moment of activity to help athletes hydrate, refuel and push through.
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Propel water, launched by Gatorade in 2002, is a good source of vitamins C, E and B6 and provides calorie-free refreshment.
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In 2006, we acquired IZZE Sparkling juice drinks. The Naked Juice line of premium juice and smoothie beverages joined the PepsiCo family the following year.
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Cola drinkers learned it was possible to get bold cola taste with zero calories with the launch of Pepsi MAX in 2007.
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In 2008, we began distributing Tazo Iced Tea, which offers a range of sweetened, lightly sweetened and unsweetened ready-to-drink teas.
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n 2008, we broke new ground with the launch of 0-Calorie SoBe Lifewater and Trop50, two of the first nationally available beverages sweetened with Stevia Extract
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In 2013, we continued to expand low-calorie options with products like Mountain Dew Kickstart (the great taste of DEW plus real fruit juice and an energizing kick all for just 80 calories per can), Starbucks Iced Coffee (cool coffee refreshment at just 110 calories per bottle) and Lipton Pure Leaf Not Too Sweet Teas (lightly-sweetened tea brewed from real tea leaves, at only 100 calories per bottle).
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In 2014, we brought consumers Caleb's Kola, a unique kola crafted by a passionate group of kola lovers using ingredients from around the world.
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2016 marked the launch of zero-calorie products like Propel Electrolyte Water, Aquafina Sparkling and Pepsi Zero Sugar and premium beverages such as Pure Leaf Tea House Collection and 1893 from the Makers of Pepsi-Cola.
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2017 brought the launches of LIFEWTR, IZZE FUSIONS and LEMON LEMON, sparkling beverages made with no artificial flavors or sweeteners and just 60 to 70 calories; Tropicana Essentials Probiotics, the first mainstream probiotic juice; Naked Pressed Botanical Juices, cold pressing the highest quality fruits and vegetables with botanical ingredients; Gatorade Flow, a bold flavor and smooth finish with all of the fuel of Gatorade Thirst Quencher; and KeVita
