Cola wars facts for kids
The cola wars describe the long-running competition between two huge soft drink companies. These are The Coca-Cola Company and PepsiCo. They have often used special marketing campaigns to compete directly. This competition is mostly about their main cola drinks, Coca-Cola and Pepsi. This rivalry became very strong in the late 1970s and 1980s. That's when it got its famous name, the "cola wars."
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History of the Cola Wars
The story of the cola wars began a long time ago. In 1886, a pharmacist named John Stith Pemberton created the first recipe for Coca-Cola. By 1888, Asa Griggs Candler took over the recipe. He then started The Coca-Cola Company in 1896.
Just two years later, in 1898, Caleb Bradham changed the name of his drink to "Pepsi-Cola." He then formed the Pepsi-Cola Company in 1902. This was the real start of the cola wars. Both companies used new and exciting ways to advertise. For example, Coke had its first celebrity ad and a special bottle shape in 1915.
However, after World War I, Pepsi faced tough times. The company went bankrupt in 1923. Pepsi went bankrupt again in 1931. But it bounced back by selling its drinks for only 5 cents a bottle. This brought the cola wars back to life, and they continue today. Pepsi even offered to sell its company to Coca-Cola after both bankruptcies, but Coca-Cola said no each time.
Advertising Battles
Both Coca-Cola and Pepsi use different ways to get people to buy their drinks.
Coca-Cola's Style
Coca-Cola's advertising has always focused on being wholesome and bringing back good memories. Their ads are often "family-friendly." They use cute characters like the Coca-Cola polar bear and Santa Claus around Christmas.
The "New Coke" Story
During the busiest time of the cola wars, Coca-Cola noticed something. Their main drink was losing sales to Pepsi. It was also losing sales to Diet Coke and other drinks. So, the company thought about changing the taste of Coca-Cola.
In April 1985, Coca-Cola launched a new recipe for its famous drink. People started calling it "New Coke." But many customers did not like the change. They complained a lot! Because of this, Coca-Cola decided to bring back the old recipe. On July 11, 1985, they announced the original drink would return. It was called "Coca-Cola Classic." Some people think this whole "New Coke" idea was a clever plan to make people want the original Coke even more. But Coca-Cola strongly denies that.
Pepsi's Style
Pepsi's advertising often uses big sponsorships and online marketing. Pepsi's logo uses the colors red, white, and blue. These are the colors of the Flag of the United States. This helps Pepsi connect with a feeling of patriotism.
The Pepsi Challenge
In 1975, Pepsi started a famous ad campaign called the Pepsi Challenge. In these ads, regular people took a "blind taste test." This meant they didn't know which drink was which. They were asked if they liked Pepsi or Coca-Cola more. The ads suggested that most people preferred Pepsi's taste.
This challenge made Coca-Cola create "Diet Coke." Later, it led to "New Coke." These events were big turning points in the cola wars. However, the Pepsi Challenge was a marketing campaign. It was not a scientific study. Later, real scientific studies found only small differences between Pepsi and Coke.
"Pepsi Stuff"
In the mid-1990s, Pepsi launched a very successful plan called Pepsi Stuff. The slogan was "Drink Pepsi, Get Stuff." Customers could collect Pepsi Points from packages and cups. They could then trade these points for free Pepsi items like T-shirts or hats.
Pepsi spent over two years planning this program. They wanted to make sure people would love it. When it launched, it was an instant hit! Because it was so popular, Pepsi expanded the program. It included Mountain Dew and went to Pepsi markets all over the world. The company kept this program going for many years. They always added new and exciting things each year.
Super Bowl LIII Rivalry
Super Bowl LIII was held in Atlanta in 2019. Atlanta is where Coca-Cola has its head office. Pepsi had been a big sponsor of the NFL for many years. They had renewed their sponsorship deal in 2011.
Pepsi used this situation to create funny ads for the game. Their slogans included "Pepsi in Atlanta. How Refreshing" and "Hey Atlanta, Thanks For Hosting. We'll Bring The Drinks." Both companies also ran TV ads during the Super Bowl. Coca-Cola showed "A Coke is a Coke" before the National Anthem. Pepsi ran a series of ads with the question, "Is Pepsi OK?"
See also
In Spanish: Guerra de las colas para niños
