The Discontinued Pepsi Flavor We Don't Miss At All

While Coca-Cola's New Coke blunder may take the cake as one of the most colossal failures ever experienced by a beverage company, Pepsi has had its share of slipups as well. In the early 2000s, the soda behemoth launched the now-discontinued Pepsi Blue, which failed to win over fans in part because of its use of deceptive marketing tactics. Yet, well before Pepsi Blue was ever conceived, the company tried its hand at capitalizing on the '90s trend of folks looking for healthier soda alternatives with Crystal Pepsi. It ended up being a monstrous flop after the business sunk millions of dollars into the new drink's launch.

A marketing executive for Pepsi, David Novak, dreamed up the idea for a new soft drink when he noticed that clear, caffeine-free beverages were becoming all the rage in the early 1990s. He envisioned a drink that oozed all-natural vibes, yet Crystal Pepsi was anything but natural. The caramel coloring that makes the classic formula dark was removed to give a crystal-clear appearance, but the high-fructose corn syrup used to sweeten the original was still present in the new spin-off.

People were curious enough about the clear soda to give it a shot at its onset. Yet, after trying it, most folks weren't purchasing it a second time. The soda experienced some initial success after it launched in 1992, but by 1994, it was gone much like all those nostalgic snacks from the '90s that are now discontinued.

Novak wanted to see his Crystal Pepsi brainchild succeed without delay. The drink had a limited launch in Boulder, Colorado, and at first, it seemed like it would be a hit. Pepsi spent $40 million advertising its crystal-clear soda during the Super Bowl in 1993, but what had been an exciting new thing soon became an object of ridicule, with "Saturday Night Live" notoriously roasting Crystal Pepsi for its lackluster flavor.

The problem was that after folks got over their curiosity about Crystal Pepsi, they realized it didn't taste all that great. Some thought it didn't distinguish itself enough from regular Pepsi, while others similarly found it to be a watered-down version of the original. Instead of nailing down a winning flavor, Novak let the hype surrounding the new soft drink lead him to ignore the food scientists at his company who were indicating the beverage had problems, including the clear bottles in which they were sold.

The food scientists feared that the soda would go rancid if exposed to sunlight, as the clear packaging offered practically no protection against UV rays. As it turns out, they were right. Pepsi employees were soon fielding complaints from disgruntled consumers telling the business that their Crystal Pepsi tasted off. The company discontinued the beverage in 1994. It was only available for a couple of short years, but Crystal Pepsi lives on today as a historic reminder that all the flash and pizzazz surrounding a marketing campaign won't fool people into thinking a product tastes good when it clearly doesn't.