Brenda Khan
Crystal Pepsi was a caffeine-free, clear cola drink launched in the US in 1992. It was marketed as a healthy alternative to regular colas, but it failed to gain popularity and was discontinued in 1994. Despite its short lifespan, Crystal Pepsi made a strong impression, with some consumers expressing disappointment and displeasure at its taste. In the years since its discontinuation, Crystal Pepsi has made sporadic returns to the market, either through grassroots campaigns or as part of promotional contests. The discussion now turns to whether there was ever a diet version of Crystal Pepsi.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Caffeine-free | Yes |
| Colour | Clear |
| Diet drink | No |
| Sugar-free | No |
| Launched | 1992 |
| Off the market | 1994 |
| Re-released | 2014, 2017, 2022 |
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What You'll Learn
- Diet Crystal Pepsi was launched in Colorado in October 1992
- Coca-Cola's Tab Clear was a deliberate copy to sabotage Crystal Pepsi
- Crystal Pepsi was caffeine-free and marketed as a healthy alternative
- The clear craze was a global marketing fad in the 1980s and 1990s
- Crystal Pepsi was brought back in 2022 as part of a contest
Diet Crystal Pepsi was launched in Colorado in October 1992
In the 1990s, the health craze had companies rushing to get their "healthy" alternatives on the shelves. PepsiCo was no exception, and in October 1992, Diet Crystal Pepsi was launched in Colorado. This caffeine-free, clear alternative to normal colas was marketed with the slogan, "You've never seen a taste like this".
The launch of Diet Crystal Pepsi was part of a strategy to use the poor-performing Tab brand rather than Coke, and the product was labelled as a "sugar-free" diet drink. The idea was to confuse consumers into thinking the drink had no sugar and to market it as medicinal. However, this strategy backfired, as consumers found the taste of Diet Crystal Pepsi to be disappointing. One person described it as existing in a weird middle ground of not-quite-soda but also still-not-water".
Despite the disappointing taste, Crystal Pepsi captured 1% of U.S. soft drink sales in its first year, amounting to approximately $474 million. It was named Best New Product of the Year for 1992 by Richard Saunders International, based on consumer preference polls. However, this success was short-lived, as Coca-Cola soon launched Tab Clear as a deliberate copy to sabotage Crystal Pepsi, and it was off the market by 1994.
While Crystal Pepsi made a brief comeback in the 2010s due to popular demand, it failed to regain its former popularity and has since faded into obscurity.
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Coca-Cola's Tab Clear was a deliberate copy to sabotage Crystal Pepsi
The launch of Coca-Cola's Tab Clear was a deliberate attempt to sabotage Crystal Pepsi. The strategy, known as "born to die", involved using the poor-performing Tab brand to confuse consumers and damage the image of Crystal Pepsi. Sergio Zyman, Coca-Cola's chief marketing officer, described the strategy as a kamikaze effort to create an unpopular beverage that would bring down its rival.
Tab Clear was a new version of the sugar- and calorie-free diet drink first introduced in 1963. The drink was targeted specifically at women concerned about their weight and was marketed as a solution to increase sex appeal. By 1992, when Crystal Pepsi was launched, Tab was perceived as an inferior, boring diet drink. Coca-Cola launched Tab Clear on the same day as Crystal Pepsi's nationwide release, positioning it as a direct competitor. The plan was that by associating Crystal Pepsi with Tab, a brand that was already seen as inferior to Coca-Cola and Pepsi, they could damage the image of Crystal Pepsi and prevent it from gaining traction.
The strategy was successful, and both Tab Clear and Crystal Pepsi were off the market by 1994. Pepsi had spent millions in development and marketing for Crystal Pepsi, while Coca-Cola spent just two months developing Tab Clear. The failure of Crystal Pepsi was a significant blow to Pepsi, as they had hoped to capture a significant portion of the growing market for "healthy" alternatives to soda. The health craze of the 1990s left many companies rushing to get their "healthy" products on the shelves, and Crystal Pepsi was Pepsi's attempt to capitalise on this trend. However, the product was poorly received by consumers, who found the taste underwhelming.
Zyman, who had previously worked for Pepsi, was notorious for his combative management style and was credited with devising the plan to sabotage Crystal Pepsi without risking the reputation of Coca-Cola Classic. He boasted publicly that Tab Clear would be a success, while behind the scenes, he and Coca-Cola CEO Ivester knew it was destined to fail and took steps to ensure that failure would bring down Crystal Pepsi as well.
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Crystal Pepsi was caffeine-free and marketed as a healthy alternative
Crystal Pepsi was a caffeine-free drink marketed as a healthy alternative to regular colas. It was launched in the US in 1992, at a time when there was a health craze and consumers were seeking "healthy" alternatives to soda.
The drink was marketed as a "clear alternative" to normal colas, with the slogan, "You've never seen a taste like this". Gary Hemphill, public relations manager for Pepsico Inc, said:
> "The basic philosophy behind Crystal Pepsi is this: Crystal Pepsi is not Pepsi with the colour stripped out. It's a totally new product. It tastes different than Pepsi [...] which we married [...] to some of the attributes of the so-called New Age type products: lighter and less sweet tasting, clear, caffeine-free, all natural flavours, and no preservatives."
The idea for Crystal Pepsi is credited to Yum! Brands chairman David C. Novak. In a 2007 interview, Novak said of the product, "It was a tremendous learning experience. I still think it's the best idea I ever had, and the worst executed. [...] It would have been nice if I'd made sure the product tasted good."
Indeed, many consumers expressed disappointment with the taste of Crystal Pepsi. One person described it as existing in a "weird middle ground of not-quite-soda but also still-not-water, like you dropped some sugar into seltzer but it tastes extremely fake." Another said, "It tasted like absolute garbage."
Despite the negative reviews, Crystal Pepsi did enjoy some success. In its first year, it captured 1% of US soft drink sales, or approximately $474 million. It was also named Best New Product of 1992 by Richard Saunders International, based on consumer preference polls. However, Coca-Cola soon launched a rival product, Tab Clear, which, along with the poor taste of Crystal Pepsi, may have contributed to its demise.
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The clear craze was a global marketing fad in the 1980s and 1990s
The 1980s and 1990s saw a global marketing trend that leveraged the idea of clarity as a signifier of purity. This "clear craze" was inspired by the reintroduction of Ivory soap and its marketing slogan, "99 and 44/100 percent pure." The fad led to the release of various colourless products, including soaps, mouthwash, and even a beer called Miller Clear.
During this time, soft drink sales boomed, particularly with the growing popularity of diet drinks. In response to this health-conscious trend, PepsiCo launched Crystal Pepsi, a caffeine-free, colourless alternative to regular colas. Marketed with the slogan, "You've never seen a taste like this," Crystal Pepsi aimed to offer a new age drinking experience.
Crystal Pepsi was introduced in 1992 and quickly gained attention, capturing 1% of US soft drink sales in its first year. However, it faced competition from Coca-Cola's Tab Clear, a deliberate "kamikaze" copy designed to sabotage Crystal Pepsi. Despite its initial success, Crystal Pepsi struggled with its unique but controversial taste, described by some as "absolute garbage."
The failure of Crystal Pepsi can be attributed to its positioning as a "healthy" alternative, which resulted in a trade-off between taste and health benefits. With no caffeine and a distinct flavour, it failed to meet consumer expectations. Ultimately, Crystal Pepsi's brief success during the clear craze of the 1980s and 1990s was short-lived, and it was discontinued in 1994.
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Crystal Pepsi was brought back in 2022 as part of a contest
Crystal Pepsi was first launched in 1992 as a caffeine-free, clear alternative to regular colas. It was marketed with the slogan, "You've never seen a taste like this". The product was born out of the 1990s health craze, which saw consumers opt for healthier alternatives to soda. However, despite its initial popularity, Crystal Pepsi was pulled from the market in 1994 due to various factors, including poor taste and competition from rival Coca-Cola's Tab Clear.
Following its discontinuation, Crystal Pepsi gained a cult following, with sporadic re-releases in the 2010s due to grassroots campaigns. The drink even inspired other companies to release colourless versions of their products, such as Palmolive dish soap, Softsoap liquid soap, and Rembrandt mouthwash. In 2015, PepsiCo released Crystal Pepsi as part of a contest, and the following year, they sold it for a limited time in the US and Canada due to fan demand.
While there has been speculation about the return of Crystal Pepsi, it does not appear that a diet version of the drink has been introduced. The original Crystal Pepsi was already positioned as a sugar-free diet drink, although this was part of a deliberate strategy to confuse consumers, as the drink actually contained sugar.
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Frequently asked questions
Yes, Diet Crystal Pepsi was launched in Colorado in October 1992.
The official slogan for Crystal Pepsi was "You've never seen a taste like this".
Crystal Pepsi was poorly received due to its taste. It was also part of a ""Beverage War"" at the time, with Coca-Cola releasing a competing product, TaB Clear, which was a sugar-free, clear soda.
The "born to die" strategy was a marketing tactic employed by Coca-Cola to sabotage Crystal Pepsi. It involved labeling the product as a "sugar-free" diet drink, positioning it as medicinal, and using the poor-performing TaB brand to confuse consumers.
Crystal Pepsi was briefly re-released in 2017 and 2022 for limited runs, but it is not currently available for purchase.
