Dante Carrillo
Patio Diet Cola was a real drink, introduced by PepsiCo in 1963 as their first diet soda offering. It was created in response to Diet Rite Cola, the first diet cola on the market. Pepsi was unsure if there was a large enough market for a diet drink, so they released the drink without connecting it to their main brand. The following year, Patio was rebranded as Diet Pepsi.
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What You'll Learn
- Patio Diet Cola was a real product introduced by PepsiCo in 1963
- PepsiCo rebranded Patio as Diet Pepsi in 1964
- Patio was created in response to Diet Rite Cola
- PepsiCo avoided associating Patio with their main brand, Pepsi, due to concerns about the market for a diet drink
- Patio was also marketed as a soda alternative for diabetics
Patio Diet Cola was a real product introduced by PepsiCo in 1963
Patio Diet Cola was indeed a real drink introduced by PepsiCo in 1963. It was Pepsi's first foray into the diet soda market, and it was created in response to Diet Rite Cola, which was the first "diet cola" on the market. At the time, housewives were becoming increasingly health and diet-conscious, and diet sodas were gaining in popularity.
PepsiCo was initially unsure if there was a large enough market for a diet drink, and they were worried that a potential failure could tarnish the Pepsi brand. As a result, they introduced Patio Diet Cola without connecting it to their main Pepsi brand. The drink was marketed as a soda alternative for diabetics, with fitness promoter Debbie Drake as its spokesperson. In 1964, Patio expanded its offerings with orange, grape, and root beer flavors, which were available in grocery and mom-and-pop stores.
The creation of an advertising campaign for Patio Diet Cola was featured in the AMC television series Mad Men. In the show, which takes place in 1962-1963, the fictional advertising agency Sterling Cooper has Pepsi Cola as a client, and they are tasked with creating a campaign for Patio, Pepsi's new diet soda.
After seeing the success of Patio, PepsiCo rebranded the drink as Diet Pepsi in 1964, becoming the first diet cola to be distributed on a national scale in the United States. The newly branded Diet Pepsi was advertised alongside regular Pepsi, with the tagline "Pepsi either way." Most of the remaining Patio line of flavors were phased out by the early 1970s, with a few surviving until the mid-1970s.
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PepsiCo rebranded Patio as Diet Pepsi in 1964
PepsiCo's Patio was a real diet drink. It was introduced in 1963 as a response to Diet Rite Cola, which was the first "diet cola" on the market. In the 1960s, housewives were becoming increasingly health and diet-conscious, and diet sodas were gaining popularity. Patio was PepsiCo's entry into this growing market.
However, PepsiCo was initially unsure about the market for diet drinks, and they wanted to avoid connecting their main brand to a potential failure. So, they introduced the drink under the name Patio. The name Patio was chosen because PepsiCo thought a diet drink would flop and they didn't want the Pepsi name associated with it.
When Patio was introduced, it was marketed with the slogan "Dances with flavor". Fitness promoter Debbie Drake was Patio's spokesperson, and the drink was also positioned as a soda alternative for diabetics.
In 1964, PepsiCo recognised that the trend for diet food and drink was not a passing fad, so they decided to rebrand Patio as Diet Pepsi. The newly branded drink was advertised alongside Pepsi, with the tagline "Pepsi either way". This move brought Diet Pepsi into the national spotlight, becoming the first diet cola to be distributed on a national scale in the United States.
The creation of Diet Pepsi marked a significant moment in the history of PepsiCo and the soft drink industry. It reflected the changing dietary habits and preferences of consumers, particularly the Baby Boomer generation. The rebranding also demonstrated PepsiCo's willingness to adapt and innovate, ensuring their products remained relevant and appealing to health-conscious consumers.
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Patio was created in response to Diet Rite Cola
PepsiCo introduced Patio Diet Cola in 1963 as a response to Diet Rite Cola, an American brand of no-calorie soft drinks distributed by the RC Cola company. Diet Rite was first introduced in 1955 as a dietetic product, but it was only in 1962 that it was marketed to the general public as a healthful beverage.
PepsiCo's entry into the diet drinks market was inspired by the success of No-Cal, a soft drink produced for diabetic patients at New York's Jewish Sanitarium for Chronic Disease in the early 1950s. No-Cal's popularity far exceeded the expectations of its creators, and this encouraged PepsiCo to develop their own diet drink. However, they were initially unsure if a diet drink would be successful, so they introduced Patio without the Pepsi brand name.
Patio was marketed as a soda alternative for diabetics, with fitness promoter Debbie Drake as its spokesperson. In 1964, Patio expanded its offerings with orange, grape, and root beer flavors. These flavors were not intended to compete with established brands but rather to fill out the line. Despite scarce advertising, Patio proved successful, and in 1964, PepsiCo rebranded Patio Diet Cola as Diet Pepsi.
The newly branded Diet Pepsi was advertised alongside regular Pepsi, with the tagline "Pepsi either way." This replaced the previous slogan, "Dances with flavor." The Patio line of flavors was gradually phased out, with most disappearing by the early 1970s and a few surviving until the mid-1970s.
The creation of Diet Pepsi, and later Diet Coke in the early 1980s, demonstrated the enduring appeal of "diet" drinks. However, the term "diet" on food and drink packaging has become less prevalent over time, with companies opting for more subtle branding for their reduced-calorie offerings.
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PepsiCo avoided associating Patio with their main brand, Pepsi, due to concerns about the market for a diet drink
The company decided to release the drink but avoided connecting it to their main Pepsi brand. The drink was introduced as Patio Diet Cola in 1963. It was created in response to Diet Rite Cola, which was the first "diet cola" on the market. At the time, housewives were becoming more health and diet-conscious, so Pepsi wanted to enter this growth market. However, they were hesitant to put the Pepsi name on a diet drink, as they were unsure if it would be well-received by consumers.
The name "Patio" was chosen, and the drink was marketed as a soda alternative for diabetics. Advertising for Patio was scarce, as bottlers were regionally franchised, and advertising was local. The following year, in 1964, Patio Diet Cola became Diet Pepsi. The newly branded drink was advertised alongside Pepsi, with the tagline "Pepsi either way". This decision to rebrand Patio as Diet Pepsi was made when PepsiCo recognized that the fad for diet food and drink was not disappearing.
Over the years, additional variations of Diet Pepsi have been introduced, with different flavors such as wild cherry, vanilla, lemon, and lime. PepsiCo has also introduced other low-calorie colas, such as Pepsi Max and Pepsi Zero Sugar, targeting similar audiences to those who drink Diet Pepsi. Combined, PepsiCo's sugar-free alternatives account for a significant portion of the company's total sales in the cola category.
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$694.2
Patio was also marketed as a soda alternative for diabetics
Patio Diet Cola was a brand of diet soda introduced by PepsiCo in 1963. The drink was created in response to Diet Rite Cola, which was the first "diet cola" on the market. In the 1960s, housewives were becoming increasingly health and diet-conscious, and diet sodas were gaining popularity. Pepsi's move into the diet drinks market was inspired by a soft drink produced for diabetic patients at New York's Jewish Sanitarium for Chronic Disease in the early 1950s called No-Cal. This drink became popular beyond its expected customer base, as it turned out that more than half of the people buying No-Cal were not diabetic but were instead watching their weight.
Fitness promoter Debbie Drake was Patio Diet Cola's spokesperson. The drink was also marketed as a soda alternative for diabetics. Patio was available in grocery and mom-and-pop stores, and advertising for the drink was scarce as bottlers were regionally franchised, and advertising was necessarily local.
When PepsiCo recognized that the trend for diet food and drink was not disappearing, they renamed Patio as Diet Pepsi in 1964. The newly branded drink was advertised alongside Pepsi, with the tagline "Pepsi either way." The creation of Patio Diet Cola, and its subsequent rebranding as Diet Pepsi, marked Pepsi's entry into the growing market for diet sodas.
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Frequently asked questions
Yes, Patio was a real drink. It was a diet soda introduced by PepsiCo in 1963.
After its launch in 1963, Patio was rebranded as Diet Pepsi in 1964.
PepsiCo avoided associating Patio with its main Pepsi brand, fearing that a potential failure could tarnish the brand they had built over the years. When they realised the trend for diet food and drink was not a fad, they renamed Patio to Diet Pepsi.
Yes, Patio Diet Cola was featured in the first few episodes of season 3 of the advertising agency drama Mad Men.
