Full History Of Pepsi In Timeline From 1903

1903: Bottling Moved to Warehouse

In 1903, Bradham moved the bottling of Pepsi from his drugstore to a rented warehouse and sold 7,968 gallons of syrup.

1909: First Celebrity Endorsement

In 1909, Barney Oldfield, an automobile race pioneer, became the first celebrity to endorse Pepsi, calling it "A bully drink...refreshing, invigorating, a fine bracer before a race."

1922: Coca-Cola Declined Purchasing Pepsi

In 1922, The Coca-Cola Company was offered the opportunity to purchase the Pepsi-Cola Company, which it declined.

1923: Pepsi's Bankruptcy

In 1923, Pepsi faced financial instability and went bankrupt. However, the company was later purchased and revived by Charles Guth, who reformulated the syrup.

1923: Pepsi-Cola Company Bankruptcy

In 1923, The Pepsi-Cola Company declared bankruptcy, largely because of financial losses incurred by speculating on the wildly fluctuating sugar prices as a result of World War I. The assets were sold and Roy C. Megargel bought the Pepsi trademark.

1933: Coca-Cola Declined Purchasing Pepsi Again

In 1933, The Coca-Cola Company was again offered the opportunity to purchase the Pepsi-Cola Company, which it declined.

1934: Introduction of 12-Ounce Bottle

In 1934, Pepsi gained popularity with the introduction of a 12-ounce bottle during the Great Depression.

1936: Increased Profits

From 1936 to 1938, Pepsi-Cola's profits doubled.

1938: Increased Profits

From 1936 to 1938, Pepsi-Cola's profits doubled.

1940: "Nickel, Nickel" Jingle

In 1940, Pepsi introduced the "Nickel, Nickel" jingle in a radio advertising campaign, encouraging consumers to buy Pepsi for its value.

1947: Advertising Featuring Black Americans

In 1947, Walter Mack hired Edward F. Boyd to lead a team that created advertising portraying black Americans in a positive light, such as one with a smiling mother holding a six pack of Pepsi while her son reaches up for one. Another campaign profiled prominent African Americans.

1950: Support for Black Sales Team Fades

After Walter Mack left the company in 1950, support for the black sales team faded and it was cut.

1952: Harvey C. Russell Jr. Replaces Boyd

In 1952, Harvey C. Russell Jr. replaced Boyd and started marketing campaigns towards black youth in New Orleans.

1954: "Pepsi Day at the Beach" Event

In 1954, Pepsi held its "Pepsi Day at the Beach" event in New Orleans, where children could ride amusement park rides in exchange for Pepsi bottle caps. By the end of the event, 125,000 bottle caps had been collected.

1959: Joan Crawford Joins Board of Directors

In 1959, after the death of her husband Alfred N. Steele, Joan Crawford was appointed to the Board of Directors of Pepsi-Cola.

1961: Pepsi Shortened Name

In 1961, Pepsi-Cola was shortened to Pepsi.

1965: PepsiCo Created

In 1965, PepsiCo was created, though Joan Crawford wasn't a board member of it.

1966: Pepsi Introduced in Romania

In 1966, Pepsi was introduced in Romania during the early liberalization policies of Nicolae Ceaușescu.

1967: Factory Opened in Constanța

In 1967, a Pepsi factory was opened at Constanța, Romania.

1970: Buffalo Bisons cease operations

In 1970, the Buffalo Bisons, an American Hockey League team sponsored by Pepsi-Cola, ceased operations.

1972: Barter Agreement with Soviet Union

In 1972, PepsiCo struck a barter agreement with the government of the Soviet Union, exchanging Pepsi for Stolichnaya vodka, leading to Pepsi being the first foreign product sanctioned for sale there.

1973: Joan Crawford Leaves Board

In 1973, Joan Crawford left the Board of Directors of Pepsi-Cola.

1977: Coca-Cola Leaves India

In 1977, Coca-Cola left India due to new foreign exchange laws.

1985: Pepsi in Second Place

As of 2024, Pepsi had fallen behind Coca-Cola and Dr. Pepper as the third most popular soft drink in the United States, losing its second place spot to the aforementioned Dr. Pepper, a position it had held since 1985.

1985: Coca-Cola Changes Formula

In 1985, The Coca-Cola Company changed its formula, introducing "New Coke", which led to a consumer backlash and the reintroduction of the original formula as "Coca-Cola Classic".

1988: PepsiCo Enters Indian Market

In 1988, PepsiCo entered the Indian market through a joint venture and sold Lehar Pepsi.

1989: Mentioned in "We Didn't Start the Fire"

In 1989, Billy Joel mentioned the Pepsi and Coke rivalry in his song "We Didn't Start the Fire", referring to the "Rock & Roller Cola Wars".

1989: Madonna "Like a Prayer" Controversy

In 1989, Pepsi cancelled a $5 million marketing campaign with Madonna due to controversy surrounding the religious themes in her "Like a Prayer" music video.

1989: Pepsi in Back to the Future Part II

In 1989, Pepsi was featured in the film Back to the Future Part II.

1990: Pepsi in Home Alone

In 1990, Pepsi was featured in the film Home Alone.

1991: Pepsi Starts Selling in Israel

In 1991, Pepsi started selling soft drinks in Israel, after previous reluctance attributed to fears of an Arab boycott.

1991: PepsiCo Enters Romanian Market Economy

In 1991, PepsiCo entered the new Romanian market economy after the fall of Soviet communism.

1991: Use of Foreign Brands Allowed

In 1991, the use of foreign brands was allowed in India, following that PepsiCo promptly bought out its partners.

1992: Coca-Cola Introduced in Romania

In 1992, Coca-Cola was introduced in Romania.

1992: Pepsi in Wayne's World

In 1992, Pepsi was featured in the film Wayne's World.

1992: Coca-Cola Enters Russian Market

In 1992, following the dissolution of the Soviet Union, Coca-Cola was introduced to the Russian market and rapidly captured a significant market share.

1992: Pepsi Number Fever Disaster

In 1992, the Pepsi Number Fever campaign in the Philippines led to riots and fatalities due to the accidental distribution of winning bottle caps.

1993: Coca-Cola Returns to India

In 1993, Coca-Cola returned to the Indian market.

1994: PepsiCo Ends Joint Venture

In 1994, PepsiCo ended its joint venture in India.

1994: Pepsiman in Fighting Vipers

In 1994, Pepsiman was included as a special character in the Sega Saturn version of the fighting game Fighting Vipers.

1996: Pepsi Stuff Marketing Strategy

In 1996, PepsiCo launched the Pepsi Stuff marketing strategy. "Project Blue" was launched in several international markets outside the United States in April.

June 1997: Project Blue Design Tested in the U.S.

In June 1997, Pepsi's "Project Blue" design was first tested in the United States.

1997: Jeff Gordon Signs with Pepsi

In 1997, Jeff Gordon signed a long-term contract with Pepsi after his sponsorship with Coca-Cola ended.

1997: Sponsorship of the Carolina Hurricanes

Since the team moved to North Carolina in 1997, Pepsi has been a sponsor of the Carolina Hurricanes of the National Hockey League.

1999: Pepsiman PlayStation Game

In 1999, KID developed and released the video game "Pepsiman" for the PlayStation. The player controls Pepsiman, navigating through various areas to deliver Pepsi to thirsty people.

1999: Naming Rights to Pepsi Center

In 1999, Pepsi secured the naming rights to the Pepsi Center, an indoor sports and entertainment facility in Denver, Colorado.

1999: Pepsi in Fight Club

In 1999, Pepsi was featured in the film Fight Club.

2000: Pepsi Overtakes Coca-Cola in Sales

Sometime between 2000 and 2005, Pepsi overtook Coca-Cola in sales in Romania.

2002: Pepsi Sponsors NFL Rookie of the Year Award

Since 2002, Pepsi has sponsored the NFL Rookie of the Year award.

July 2005: Market Share in Russia

By July 2005, Coca-Cola enjoyed a market share of 19.4 percent in Russia, followed by Pepsi with 13 percent.

2005: Pepsi Overtakes Coca-Cola in Sales

Sometime between 2000 and 2005, Pepsi overtook Coca-Cola in sales in Romania.

2007: Pepsi sponsors Super Bowl halftime shows

In 2007, Pepsi began sponsoring the NFL's Super Bowl halftime shows.

October 2008: Logo Redesign Announced

In October 2008, Pepsi announced it would redesign its logo and re-brand many of its products by early 2009.

2008: Market Share Report

According to Beverage Digest's 2008 report, PepsiCo's U.S. market share was 30.8 percent, while The Coca-Cola Company's was 42.7 percent.

2009: Lowercase Fonts Used

In 2009, Pepsi, Diet Pepsi, and Pepsi Max began using all lower-case fonts for name brands.

2012: Pepsi Third Most Popular in India

As of 2012, Pepsi was the third most popular carbonated drink in India, with a 15% market share.

2013: Pepsi sponsors Super Bowl halftime shows

In 2013, Pepsi sponsored the NFL's Super Bowl halftime shows.

2013: Pepsi in World War Z

In 2013, Pepsi was featured in the film World War Z.

2015: Limited-Edition Release of Pepsi Perfect

In 2015, Pepsi Perfect, a limited-edition vitamin-enriched Pepsi variation shown in "Back to the Future Part II", was released, with only 6,500 bottles available for $20.15 each.

2015: Global Sponsorship with UEFA Champions League

In 2015, Pepsi secured its first global sponsorship deals with the UEFA Champions League and the UEFA Women's Champions League starting in the 2015–16 season.

2015: Pepsi ends Major League Soccer sponsorship

In December 2015, Pepsi's sponsorship of Major League Soccer concluded, with Coca-Cola taking over the sponsorship.

April 2017: Pepsi ends Major League Baseball sponsorship

In April 2017, Pepsi's sponsorship of Major League Baseball ended, with Coca-Cola becoming the new sponsor.

2017: Jersey Sponsor of Papua New Guinea Basketball Team

In 2017, Pepsi became the jersey sponsor of the Papua New Guinea national basketball team.

October 22, 2020: Pepsi Center loses naming rights

On October 22, 2020, the Pepsi Center's new naming rights were announced, ending Pepsi's naming rights of the venue.

2022: Pepsi sponsors Super Bowl halftime shows

In 2022, Pepsi sponsored the NFL's Super Bowl halftime shows.

March 2023: New Logo Unveiled

In March 2023, Pepsi unveiled a new "vintage" logo expected to launch in North America in late-2023, and internationally in 2024 (including 2025 in Colombia).

March 2023: Pepsi Formula Change in the UK

In March 2023, the Pepsi formula change was expanded to the United Kingdom version, replacing sugar with artificial sweeteners.

2023: Second Most Valuable Soft Drink Brand

In 2023, Pepsi was ranked as the second most valuable soft drink brand worldwide, only behind Coca-Cola. The two beverages have a long-standing rivalry.

2024: Pepsi Falls to Third Most Popular

As of 2024, Pepsi had fallen behind Coca-Cola and Dr. Pepper as the third most popular soft drink in the United States, losing its second place spot to Dr. Pepper.

2024: International Logo Launch

In March 2023, Pepsi unveiled a new "vintage" logo expected to launch internationally in 2024 (including 2025 in Colombia).

2025: Colombia Logo Launch