 20 US fluid ounces (590 ml) in 2016 | |
| Type | Clear cola |
|---|---|
| Manufacturer | PepsiCo |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Introduced | April 13, 1992 (test markets) |
| Discontinued | 1994 (original run) |
| Variants | Diet Crystal Pepsi, Crystal From Pepsi |
| Related products | Pepsi Blue, Tab Clear |
Crystal Pepsi is a cola soft drink made by PepsiCo. It was initially released in the United States and Canada from 1992 to 1994. It was briefly sold in the United Kingdom and Australia.
In 1991, PepsiCo's risk-taking leadership ambitiously reshaped the company. It pushed consumer research to harness the clear craze and the New Age trend, and find a healthier recipe to stimulate the slowing cola market. After 1,000 product concepts and 3,000 formulations, it discovered a lighter flavor and appearance, with modified food starch instead of caramel color, and 20 fewer calories. It is a "totally new product" which resembles standard Pepsi but reportedly tastes less "acidic".[1][2]
Crystal Pepsi was launched in 1992 with a huge marketing campaign and to great success, capturing a 1% soft drink market share worth US$474 million in its first year. PepsiCo made some mistakes, and Coca-Cola launched Tab Clear as a deliberate "kamikaze" copy to sabotage Crystal Pepsi, so it was off the market in 1994. Inspired by a grassroots campaign via telephone and the Internet, it was briefly re-released sporadically in the 2010s.
- ^ Merevick, Tony (December 11, 2015). "Taste Test: We Tried the New Crystal Pepsi". Thrillist. Archived from the original on April 24, 2016. Retrieved January 9, 2020.
- ^ Fama, Amanda (August 14, 2017). "Where Can I Buy Crystal Pepsi? Our Favorite '90s Soda Is Finally Back". Elite Daily. Archived from the original on February 5, 2020. Retrieved January 9, 2020.