History Of Pepsi

Pepsi is a carbonated soft drink that is popular the world over. First made in the 1890s, by pharmacist Caleb Bradham in New Bern, North Carolina, the soft drink has wooed millions of people with its flavor. Have you always wondered how your favorite drink Pepsi came into being? This soft drink, which has been running popular since years together, has a long and interesting history of its own. It is produced and manufactured by the reputed company PepsiCo. Such is the popularity of the drink that over the years, many of its variants have come into the market. We bring you the detailed history of Pepsi in the lines below.

 

Pepsi made its first appearance in the world in 1890s. Pharmacist Calrb Bradham of New Bern, North California, is the man to be credited with the production of this drink. He introduced the drink in the name of “Brad’s Drink”. Later, it came to be known as ‘Pepsi’, probably due to the use of digestive enzymes, such as peps and kola nuts in its preparation. The product got its trademark on June 16, 1903. Bradham shifted the bottling of the drink from his drugstore to a rented warehouse in the year 1903. Since then, the product has never looked back. It got its first official logo in 1905, which was eventually changed in 1926 and then again in 1929. In 1909, Pepsi was introduced to the whole world through its first celebrity endorser, Barney Oldfield.

 

In the year 1931, due to the disastrous effect of World War I, there was sudden fluctuation in the price of sugar, which led Pepsi-Cola Company into bankruptcy. Pepsi managed to stand once again, against the pressures of the Great Depression. In 1936, 12-ounce bottles of the soft drink were re-introduced, which were originally priced at 10 cents each. This found fewer sales for itself and then the producers thought of bringing the rate down to 5 cents. This brought a boost to the company, which it badly required at this point of time. They aired an advertising campaign on the radio as well, with a beautiful jingle. This campaign did wonders for the drowning Pepsi Company and eventually doubled the Pepsi-Cola’s profit.

 

Pepsi started growing as a world brand due to the well-planned and systematically organized marketing and campaigns. In 1940s, Walter Mack was appointed the new President of Pepsi-Cola, who found the missing strategy in the advertising campaigns of Pepsi. He discovered that the advertising somehow missed the African Americans, who could contribute to a major share in the popularity of the brand. He, therefore, appointed Hennah Smith, an advertising persona from the African American community, to focus a sales team upon the blacks. The effort had to be discontinued in the middle, owing to the onset of World War II. However, in 1947, Mack came back with the same goal and appointed Edward F. Boyd for the same. This worked as a positive effort in making Pepsi’s foothold strong in these unexplored regions.

 

The year 1975 saw open challenge between Pepsi-Cola and the rival Coca-Cola. The public voted in favor of Pepsi, which was telecasted through the media. This further encouraged the growth and popularity of the drink. Several marketing campaigns were followed through the years, which boosted the sale of Pepsi to unimaginable heights. The company kept on redesigning the Pepsi cans and in the year 2007, the can was changed for the fourteenth time. Pepsi sponsored many international cricket games, which certainly gave another platform for the company to reach globally. Today, it uses such slogans that make it recognizable in every part of the world. Slogans like “Yeh Dil Mange More” and “My Pepsi My Way” keep the brand rocking everywhere.