Pepsi and Coca-Cola have been fighting over the same shelf space for more than a century, and the "Cola Wars" nickname only really stuck once the two started attacking each other directly in adverts rather than just competing quietly.
Brad's Drink to Pepsi-Cola
Pepsi was invented in 1893 by Caleb Bradham, a pharmacist in New Bern, North Carolina, who originally sold it as "Brad's Drink" from his own drugstore soda fountain. It was renamed Pepsi-Cola in 1898, with early marketing leaning on claims that it aided digestion — a nod to the drink's name, thought to reference pepsin.
The Cola Wars
Direct rivalry with Coca-Cola intensified through the 1970s and 80s. Pepsi ran the "Pepsi Challenge" from 1975, a series of blind taste tests where consumers regularly preferred Pepsi's sweeter formula — results that are widely believed to have pushed Coca-Cola toward its disastrous 1985 reformulation, "New Coke". Pepsi followed up by signing Michael Jackson for an ad campaign in 1983-84, one of the biggest celebrity endorsements in advertising history at the time, cementing the two brands' rivalry in pop culture as much as on supermarket shelves.
Pepsi's flavour range today
- Pepsi Max — no sugar, marketed with extra caffeine compared to standard Pepsi.
- Diet Pepsi — the longer-running sugar-free variant, sold alongside Max in most markets.
- Pepsi Wild Cherry — a cherry-flavoured variant popular in the US.
- Pepsi Twist — original Pepsi with a lemon flavour twist, sold in various international markets.
If the cola flavour itself is what appeals rather than the can, the site's cola sweets cover the same taste in gummy and fizzy sweet form.
Frequently asked questions
When did Pepsi start competing with Coca-Cola?
Rivalry dates back to the early 1900s, but the Cola Wars as a marketing term really took off in the 1970s and 80s, when Pepsi ran side-by-side taste tests known as the Pepsi Challenge from 1975 and signed Michael Jackson for a high-profile ad campaign in 1983-84.
Who invented Pepsi?
Pepsi was created in 1893 by pharmacist Caleb Bradham in New Bern, North Carolina, originally sold as Brad's Drink before being renamed Pepsi-Cola in 1898.
What flavour variants does Pepsi come in?
Beyond original Pepsi, the range includes Pepsi Max (no sugar, extra caffeine), Diet Pepsi, Pepsi Wild Cherry, and regional variants like Pepsi Twist with a lemon flavour twist.