Originally published at: https://boingboing.net/2019/07/11/the-pepsi-challenge-a-blind-t.html
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I think the dentists won, or at least they could keep up the payments on their boats.
Also Negativland benefited, since they were able to collect more than enough material for one of their best albums. Even after living through the Cola Wars (“sit down kids, and I’ll tell you about your grandpa’s time on the front lines during the Cola Wars…”), the one thing I most remember is Dispepsi, which came out several years after the hostilities ended.
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I just read an interesting article on a related subject. Apparently people really liked New Coke during taste tests, and it was only afterwards, when Coke die-hards couldn’t bear their favorite thing changing, that it got torpedoed. It won in taste tests because in those tests, where you only get a small sample, people prefer the sweeter soda. That was New Coke, and it was also Pepsi. The preference for Pepsi shrank considerably once people drank more. I still prefer it, but I’m a weirdo.
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“Flighted”?
I remember, as a ~7 year old, concluding that the sample size made all the difference in these blind tests.
I only drew that conclusion because I initially fell for it: These challenge kiosks were all over my city, and after a 1oz taste I was shocked to discover I preferred pepsi, but when drinking a whole bottle I found it too syrupy.
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advertising runs in flights.
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The fact is, Coke, Pepsi, RC, locally-made brand, it doesn’t matter, they all taste better coming out of a fountain than in a bottle or can. Especially when you have a hangover.
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When the new Coke commercial got to “Don’t you see? Difference is beautiful.” with the sudden appearance of all those different, flat voices, I had the immediate impression of “One of us… One of us…” from Todd Browning’s Freaks mixed with feelings of The Invasion of the Body Snatchers. But the animation was fun.
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Now I know! Thanks!
No kidding. At my workplace the cola products have literally been weaponized, in the form of thermal detonators:
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I think the key takeaway is that soda pop should be consumes in much smaller serving sizes. Your pancreas will thank you.
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I read an article a while ago about how for the longest time, Pepsi was struggling with an image as a lower-class product for people who couldn’t afford quality Coca-Cola, until they completely struck it rich with the “Pepsi Generation” slogan.
Can’t seem to find the precise article at the moment (anyone care to take a crack at it?), but this comes close.
ETA: It was probably just Snopes.
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I took the “Pepsi Challenge” back in the day. They gave out prizes to try it. If you preferred Coke, they gave the standard crappy prize, but If you chose Pepsi you got to spin the wheel and got a chance at a better prize (worst you could do was the Coke prize). Also the pepsi was cold and fresh and the coke was warm and flat… I still liked the coke beter but I picked pepsi for the prize.
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Never really liked Pepsi. In the taste tests, i could always tell the Pepsi, and would just say “That’s the Pepsi” so I could spin the wheel.
In my opinion:
Sugar Cane (like Mexican) Coke>Corn Syrup Coke>Jolt Cola>Pepsi
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Pepsi and Coke taste nothing alike.
Where do Dr. Pepper and Dublin Dr. Pepper fall on that list?
I keep wondering, how can these products survive in a world where beer or wine is available?
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You can take the Pepsi Challenge, I will take the Nestea Plunge.
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Probably because liquor is also available.
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I was a weird kid - didn’t like soda. Though a nice G & T is a true summer pleasure.
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