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1999 Review

Sponsored in part by Pepsi.
Pepsi Timeline

1898 -  1940

                      1898
                      Caleb Bradham, a New Bern, North Carolina, pharmacist,
                      renames "Brad's Drink," a carbonated soft drink he created
                      to serve his drugstore's fountain customers. The new name,
                      Pepsi-Cola, is derived from two of the principal
                      ingredients, pepsin and kola nuts. It is first used on August
                      28.

                      1902
                      Bradham applies to the U.S. Patent Office for a trademark
                      for the Pepsi-Cola name.

                      1903
                      In keeping with its origin as a pharmacist's concoction,
                      Bradham's advertising praises his drink as "Exhilarating,
                      invigorating, aids digestion."
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                      1905
                      A new logo appears, the first change from the original
                      created in 1898.

                      1906
                      The logo is redesigned and a new slogan added: "The
                      original pure food drink." The trademark is registered in
                      Canada.

                      1907
                      The Pepsi trademark is registered in Mexico.

                      1909
                      Automobile racing pioneer Barney Oldfield becomes
                      Pepsi's first celebrity endorser when he appears in
                      newspaper ads describing Pepsi-Cola as "A bully
                      drink...refreshing, invigorating, a fine bracer before a race."
                      The theme "Delicious and Healthful" appears, and will be
                      used intermittently over the next two decades.

                      1920
                      Pepsi appeals to consumers with, "Drink Pepsi-Cola. It will
                      satisfy you."
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                      1932
                      The trademark is registered in Argentina.

                      1934
                      Pepsi begins selling a 12-ounce bottle for five cents, the
                      same price charged by its competitors for six ounces.

                      1938
                      The trademark is registered in the Soviet Union.

                      1939
                      A newspaper cartoon strip, "Pepsi & Pete," introduces the
                      theme "Twice as Much for a Nickel" to increase consumer
                      awareness
                      of Pepsi's value advantage.

                      1940
                      Pepsi makes advertising history with the first advertising
                      jingle ever broadcast nationwide. "Nickel, Nickel" will
                      eventually become a hit record and will be translated into
                      55 languages. A new, more modern logo is adopted.

1941  -  1960

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                     1941
                    In support of America's war effort, Pepsi changes the color of
                    its bottle crowns to red, white and blue. A Pepsi canteen in
                    Times Square, New York, operates throughout the war,
                    enabling more than a million families to record messages for
                    armed services personnel overseas.

                    1943
                    The "Twice as Much" advertising strategy expands to include
                    the theme, "Bigger Drink, Better Taste."

                    1949
                    "Why take less when Pepsi's best?" is added to "Twice as
                    Much" advertising.

                    1950
                    "More Bounce to the Ounce" becomes Pepsi's new theme as
                    changing soft drink economics force Pepsi to raise prices to
                    competitive levels. The logo is again updated.

                    1953
                    Americans become more weight conscious, and a new
                    strategy based on Pepsi's lower caloric content is implemented
                    with "The Light Refreshment" campaign.
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                    1954
                    "The Light Refreshment" evolves to incorporate "Refreshing
                    Without Filling."

                    1958
                    Pepsi struggles to enhance its brand image. Sometimes
                    referred to as "the kitchen cola," as a consequence of its
                    long-time positioning as a bargain brand, Pepsi now identifies
                    itself with young, fashionable consumers with the "Be Sociable,
                    Have a Pepsi" theme. A distinctive "swirl" bottle replaces
                    Pepsi's earlier straight-sided bottle.

                    1959
                    Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev and U.S. Vice-President
                    Richard Nixon meet in the soon-to-be-famous "kitchen
                    debate" at an international trade fair. The meeting, over Pepsi,
                    is photo-captioned in the U.S. as "Khrushchev Gets Sociable."

1961  -  1980

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              1961
                 Pepsi further refines its target audience, recognizing the increasing
                 importance of the younger, post-war generation. "Now it's Pepsi,
                 for Those who think Young" defines youth as a state of mind as
                 much as a chronological age, maintaining the brand's appeal to all
                 market segments.

                 1963
                 In one of the most significant demographic events in commercial
                 history, the post-war baby boom emerges as a social and
                 marketplace phenomenon. Pepsi recognizes the change, and
                 positions Pepsi as the brand belonging to the new generation-The
                 Pepsi Generation. "Come alive! You're in the Pepsi Generation"
                 makes advertising history. It is the first time a product is identified,
                 not so much by its attributes, as by its consumers' lifestyles and
                 attitudes.

                 1964
                 A new product, Diet Pepsi, is introduced into Pepsi-Cola
                 advertising.

                 1966
                 Diet Pepsi's first independent campaign, "Girlwatchers," focuses on
                 the cosmetic benefits of the low-calorie cola. The "Girlwatchers"
                 musical theme becomes a Top 40 hit. Advertising for another new
                 product, Mountain Dew, a regional brand acquired in 1964, airs
                 for the first time, built around the instantly recognizable tag line,
                 "Ya-Hoo, Mountain Dew!"

                 1967
                 When research indicates that consumers place a premium on
                 Pepsi's superior taste when chilled, "Taste that beats the others
                 cold. Pepsi pours it on" emphasizes Pepsi's product superiority.
                 The campaign, while product-oriented, adheres closely to the
                 energetic, youthful, lifestyle imagery established in the initial Pepsi
                 Generation campaign.
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                 1969
                 "You've got a lot to live. Pepsi's got a lot to give" marks a shift in
                 Pepsi Generation advertising strategy. Youth and lifestyle are still
                 the campaign's driving forces, but with "Live/Give," a new
                 awareness and a reflection of contemporary events and mood
                 become integral parts of the advertising's texture.

                 1973
                 Pepsi Generation advertising continues to evolve. "Join the Pepsi
                 People, Feelin' Free" captures the mood of a nation involved in
                 massive social and political change. It pictures us the way we
                 are-one people, but many personalities.

                 1975
                 The Pepsi Challenge, a landmark marketing strategy, convinces
                 millions of consumers that Pepsi's taste is superior.

                 1976
                 "Have a Pepsi Day" is the Pepsi Generation's upbeat reflection of
                 an improving national mood. "Puppies," a 30-second snapshot of
                 an encounter between a very small boy and some even smaller
                 dogs, becomes an instant commercial classic.

                 1979
                 With the end of the '70s comes the end of a national malaise.
                 Patriotism has been restored by an exuberant celebration of the
                 U.S. bicentennial, and Americans are looking to the future with
                 renewed optimism. "Catch that Pepsi Spirit!" catches the mood
                 and the Pepsi Generation carries it forward into the '80s.

1981 to  -----

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                    1982
                    With all the evidence showing that Pepsi's taste is superior, the
                    only question remaining is how to add that message to Pepsi
                    Generation advertising. The answer? "Pepsi's got your Taste
                    for Life!," a triumphant celebration of great times and great
                    taste.

                    1983
                    The soft drink market grows more competitive, but for Pepsi
                    drinkers, the battle is won. The time is right and so is their soft
                    drink. It's got to be "Pepsi Now!"

                    1984
                    A new generation has emerged-in the United States, around
                    the world and in Pepsi advertising, too. "Pepsi. The Choice of
                    a New Generation" announces the change, and the most
                    popular entertainer of the time, Michael Jackson, stars in the
                    first two commercials of the new campaign. The two spots
                    quickly become "the most eagerly awaited advertising of all
                    time."

                    1985
                    Lionel Richie leads a star-studded parade into "New
                    Generation" advertising followed by pop music icons Tina
                    Turner and Gloria Estefan. Sports heroes Joe Montana and
                    Dan Marino are part of it, as are film and television stars Teri
                    Garr and Billy Crystal. Geraldine Ferraro, the first woman
                    nominated to be vice president of the U.S., stars in a Diet
                    Pepsi spot. And the irrepressible Michael J. Fox brings a
                    special talent, style and spirit to a series of Pepsi and Diet
                    Pepsi commercials, including a classic, "Apartment 10G."
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                    1987
                    After an absence of 27 years, Pepsi returns to Times Square,
                    New York, with a spectacular 850-square foot electronic
                    display billboard declaring Pepsi to be "America's Choice."

                    1988
                    Michael Jackson returns to "New Generation" advertising to
                    star in a four-part "episodic" commercial named "Chase."
                    "Chase" airs during the Grammy Awards program and is
                    immediately hailed by the media as "the most-watched
                    commercial in advertising history."

                    1989
                    "The Choice of a New Generation" theme expands to
                    categorize Pepsi users as "A Generation Ahead!"

                    1990
                    Teen stars Fred Savage and Kirk Cameron join the "New
                    Generation" campaign, and football legend Joe Montana
                    returns in a spot challenging other celebrities to taste test their
                    colas against Pepsi. Music legend Ray Charles stars in a new
                    Diet Pepsi campaign, "You got the right one baby."

                    1991
                    "You got the Right one Baby" is modified to "You got the
                    Right one Baby, Uh-Huh!" The "Uh-Huh Girls" join Ray
                    Charles as back-up singers and a campaign soon to become
                    the most popular advertising in America is on its way.
                    Supermodel Cindy Crawford stars in an award-winning
                    commercial made to introduce Pepsi's updated logo and
                    package graphics.
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                    1992
                    Celebrities join consumers, declaring that they "Gotta Have
                    It." The interim campaign supplants "Choice of a New
                    Generation" as work proceeds on new Pepsi advertising for
                    the '90s. Mountain Dew growth continues, supported by the
                    antics of an outrageous new Dew Crew whose claim to fame
                    is that, except for the unique great taste of Dew, they've "Been
                    there, Done that, Tried that."

                    1993
                    "Be Young, Have fun, Drink Pepsi" advertising starring
                    basketball superstar Shaquille O'Neal is rated as best in U.S.

                    1994
                    New advertising introducing Diet Pepsi's freshness dating
                    initiative features Pepsi CEO Craig Weatherup explaining the
                    relationship between freshness and superior taste to
                    consumers.

                    1995
                    In a new campaign, the company declares "Nothing else is a
                    Pepsi" and takes top honors in the year's national advertising
                    championship.

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Last updated:  November 4, 1999
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