The Soda Thread: Coke not Classic; Throwback Pepsi

[MrBern]

old & busted...

I think its interesting that the marketers decided that 'CLASSIC' is now a negative term.

And btw, Baron Kurtz mentioned:

(Fructose is much, much sweeter that cane sucrose. And incidentally it does not metabolise in the same way. Fructose is much more likely to be deposited in fat stores and processed to be useful energy that way - i.e. whe there's nothing else left - rather than being stored in the same way as glucose which is the body's go to guy in terms of energy.)

NYC's Governor is now entertaining an 18% tax on sugary sodas...to combat obesity & diabetes.
http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/12/16/soda-tax-plan-sparks-a-debate/

 

[MrBern]

Pepsi...for those who think young

http://www.bevindustry.com/Articles/Cover_Story/BNP_GUID_9-5-2006_A_10000000000000514065

This year also brings some new introductions, graphics and packaging innovations from PepsiCo, for which the company has high expectations. In CSD flavors, PBV will add Mountain Dew Voltage, which was the winning flavor in the brand’s Dewmocracy campaign. In the middle of April, PBV also will begin distributing Pepsi Throwback and Mountain Dew Throwback, which features those brands formulated with sugar. For the flagship PepsiCo brands, Pepsi, Diet Pepsi, Mountain Dew and Sierra Mist, PBV also is beginning to distribute the brands featuring their new redesigned graphics and packaging, which is part of a holistic campaign aimed at drawing in younger consumers. PepsiCo also is launching a new advertising campaign with the release.

 

[Madcap72]

There's a large Mexican population where I live and everyone in awhile they'll have real suger coca cola in the gas stations. It's delicious!

 

[Matt Deckard]

I can get Mexican Coke at my gas station now.

Why do they have to go throwback when it's the standard in other countries?

I can't believe it took so long to drop the "Classic" in the US while it's been gone for years in other countries... though I guess it being classic meant that it really wasn't the real thing like the other countries were getting, ours contains HFCS and that's not real sugar.

 

[Paisley]

Anybody else drink Blue Sky soda? The cola and root beer have cane sugar. The orange cream soda is great.

http://www.blueskysoda.com/products/index.php?cat=2&id=34

 

[Warden]

Hate to add this to the thread but I am a Pepsi lad myself

I better go and get my coat

Harry

 

[Edward]

I used to drink a lot (about a litre a day) of Diet Coke, which I always preferred to taste over regular Coke, even the UK version (too syrupy). I cut back in a big way when I went without one for two days once and realised that the thumping headaches I was having were withdrawl symptoms (probably the caffeine addiction). A while ago I stopped buying Coca Cola products altogether, on ethical grounds, though it's not always easy to avoid them, so many places having only Coca Cola products as drinks options when you go out to eat.

It is fascinating. There are many fascinating things in the realm of worldwide food production. One of my favourites is the apparent absence of the Mars Bar in the middle west USA and, i'm told, throughout the USA. A friedn from Iowa recalls sometime in the mid-1980s the Mars Bar being withdrawn.

Last time I was in the US - in NYC (can't believe it's five years ago now) - they had something they called a "Milky Way"..... which wasn't a MW at all, but was actually a Mars Bar in disguise. Brown wrapper, green writing. Much nicer than most US chocolate; as all good Rocky Horror fans, I've dabbled with Hersheys out of curiosity.... euw.

 

[ortega76]

I prefer Pepsi, myself but my favorite is RC. My favorite hot dog place that I've eaten at since I was a kid still sells their sammiches with chips (not fries) and cans of RC (no fountain soda). Mmmmm, now I want a chili dog. . .

 

[MrBern]

Cola wars

Why do they have to go throwback when it's the standard in other countries?

Its marketing. The competition between Coke & Pepsi is notorious. Coke changes a label, Pepsi changes packaging.

The change return of a natural ingredient is something to ballyhoo!

 

[Baron Kurtz]

as all good Rocky Horror fans, I've dabbled with Hersheys out of curiosity.... euw.

Yeah, you only do that once. At one time i thought it impossible t make bad chocolate. Then i lived in the United States, where the making of bad chocolate has been refined to such a degree as would beggar belief. Hershey's is particularly rotten …

bk

 

[Feraud]

Its marketing. The competition between Coke & Pepsi is notorious. Coke changes a label, Pepsi changes packaging.

The change return of a natural ingredient is something to ballyhoo!

Change indeed. Pepsi has revamped their logo to ride the coat tails of the success of Shepherd Faiery's iconic image of President Obama.

The return of too much of a natural ingredient in soda is a positive. Parents can go back to telling kids how bad sugar is for them and the kids might understand what they are talking about.

 

[Edward]

Yeah, you only do that once. At one time i thought it impossible t make bad chocolate. Then i lived in the United States, where the making of bad chocolate has been refined to such a degree as would beggar belief. Hershey's is particularly rotten …

bk

An unholy mix of weak coffee and mild cheese sprung to my mind....

 

[Undertow]

A friedn from Iowa recalls sometime in the mid-1980s the Mars Bar being withdrawn. I had my Ma ship a box to me every month for the 6 years I lived in the 'States. And every time they visited they brought a consignment of Coke.

Funny you should mention this...

I picked up a little known fact while working in liqour/grocery retail here in Iowa. Iowa is a test market for many foods, including beer, liqour, soda and, apparently, candy. I asked a representative of Anheuser-Busch (creators of American brew Budweiser *yucky*) why Iowa, of all places, was a test market for beer. He told me that marketing believed Midwesterners, Iowans in particular, were not prone to change, but willing to try new things. In their line of reasoning, if a product caught on in Iowa, at least a little bit, it would take off on the coasts.

I believe that is similar reasoning with all other food and beverage companies.

That being said, I can't speak for the rest of the country, but there was a time, maybe about 5 or 6 years ago, when MARS bars were reintroduced into our market. It may have been a test run, or just some marketing gimmick, but I'd purchased a few and went on my merry way. And just as fast they appeared, less than a year later, they disappeared. [huh]

 

[Baby Jane]

haha I can't believe all the anti-hershey sentiment. I work in Hershey & alot of times when I come to work it smells like chocolate. I practically lived at hersheypark growing up.I actually prefer their chocolate over most although I do like M&Mmars too. They aren't too far from me either. I also like Nestle mint Aero bars but they don't sell them in the local stores. I have to get them at an irish imports shop I go to. Even though you may not like his chocolate Milton Hershey was a great man. He left his fortune to the school he & his wife founded for orphaned and poor children. My friend's niece lived there. The facilities are incredible! When she was diagnosed with bone cancer 4 years ago they paid for all her cancer treatments and surgeries. They even sent her and her mom and best friend to Disney shortly before she passed away. His generosity is still felt all these years later.

 

[swanky_frankie]

I've noticed a lot more Coke Zero ads now.

 

[ortega76]

I've noticed a lot more Coke Zero ads now.

Ugh. Grabbed a Cherry Coke Zero by mistake today. It was awful.

 

[Marc Chevalier]

Funny thing is, I can't stand Cadbury chocolates *yucky* -- and Cadbury is the "Hershey" of the UK, no?


Baby Jane is right: Mr. and Mrs. Hershey were admirable people ... and the town they built for their workers was, and is, spectacular.

.

 

[Baron Kurtz]

Funny thing is, I can't stand Cadbury chocolates *yucky* -- and Cadbury is the "Hershey" of the UK, no?

Yes, Cadbury's chocolate is also absolutely disgusting. Something about Anglo countries: Take cocoa and milk and make it disgusting. The Europeans i know are astounded by the ability of the British to get mint into almost every chocolate product. We as a people seem to fear the strident flavour of really fine chocolate, and consistently water it down. Mars products are generally rotten as well. Mars bars are a sad remnant addiction of my youth. They are not nice, but i can't resist them.

Now, super dark Belgian chocolates! Now we're talking. Mmmmm; enough cocoa to make your head spin.

bk

 

[WildCelt]

Its marketing. The competition between Coke & Pepsi is notorious. Coke changes a label, Pepsi changes packaging.

The change return of a natural ingredient is something to ballyhoo!

. . . and now Pepsi's about to make "throwback" Pepsi and Mountain Dew made with sugar.

 

[Edward]

Yes, Cadbury's chocolate is also absolutely disgusting. Something about Anglo countries: Take cocoa and milk and make it disgusting. The Europeans i know are astounded by the ability of the British to get mint into almost every chocolate product. We as a people seem to fear the strident flavour of really fine chocolate, and consistently water it down. Mars products are generally rotten as well. Mars bars are a sad remnant addiction of my youth. They are not nice, but i can't resist them.

Now, super dark Belgian chocolates! Now we're talking. Mmmmm; enough cocoa to make your head spin.

bk

I actually do like Cadburys.... [huh] .... though Belgian and Swiss milk chocolate is far superior. I am also convinced that the Mars bars sold in mainland Europe are much nicer than what we get here in the UK. I'm not a big fan of too high a cocoa content (probably why I like UK chocolate, I suppose), but I did like the "dark and light" Mars bars they did for a while.

Of course, all chocolate tastes better when it's shaped like an oversized egg....