A short-lived cult soda from the '90s returns this summer.
PepsiCo announced the comeback of Crystal Pepsi this week. The Purchase, New York-based soda company said the translucent soda will be available in the U.S. and Canada later this summer.
Crystal Pepsi will be available for a limited time, beginning July 11 in Canada and Aug. 8 in the U.S. It will be sold in 20-ounce bottles at major retailers.
The soda was sold for a brief time — from 1992 to 1994 — before it was pulled from store shelves because of lagging sales. But it ultimately developed a cult following over the years, with a #BringBackCrystalPepsi movement gaining steam online.
After months of speculation, Pepsi brought the crystal-clear soda back late last year as part of a contest for members of its brand loyalty program. Thirteen-thousand six-packs of the soda were awarded to 13,000 winners. Many ended up on eBay, where some are still selling for well over $100. An original 16-ounce bottle was listed at $149.
"We've always had a special place in our heart for Crystal Pepsi, and there has been a huge groundswell of support to bring it back," marketing director Stacy Taffet said in a statement this week.
The return of Crystal Pepsi comes as Pepsi's sales are lagging behind Coca-Cola. Just this week, PepsiCo said it will reintroduce aspartame to some of its beverages less than a year after pulling the artificial sweetener as part of a marketing move. It was met with backlash from fans who said the new soda didn’t have the same flavor.
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To seal the deal with the '90s nostalgia crowd, Pepsi said it's kicking off the "Summer of Crystal Pepsi" with the release of "The Crystal Pepsi Trail" online, a take on the popular '90s computer game "The Oregon Trail."
"What better way to celebrate this iconic 90s cola than to introduce a new take on one of the most beloved games of the decade. Totally rad!" Taffet said.
In a well-timed coincidence, Hi-C Ecto Cooler is returning to store shelves this week. The bygone Ghostbusters-themed beverage was introduced in 1987 and eventually pulled from store shelves in 2001. Like Crystal Pepsi, the neon-green drink also developed a cult following over the years. It’s marketed by Coca-Cola.
