February 3, 2010

Throwback Pepsi - Available for a Limited Time Only (sadly)

By: Elaine Levins

Of course, back in the '70s and early '80s, Pepsi and most other sodas were made with real sugar. Sometime in the mid-1980's, both Coca-Cola and Pepsico started using High Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS) to sweeten their beverages, instead of sugar.

From December 28, 2009 through February 22, 2010, Pepsi is offering Throwback Pepsi and Throwback Mountain Dew. These are the original versions of the soft drinks, sweetened with sugar instead of HFCS.

I can't say that I remember noticing the change from sugar to HFCS when it occurred, but I can tell you that, after trying both of the "Throwback" versions (Pepsi and Mountain Dew), I noticed a big difference in taste. Both drinks taste "crisper" and are not as cloyingly sweet. Bottom line: I think they taste better.

Plus, I'll admit that I'm not a big fan of high fructose corn syrup. I'm not a nutritionist, but I don't think that enough research has been done to study the effects of HFCS on our bodies.

Cool Nostalgic Packaging, Too!

Not only does Throwback Pepsi taste great, but the folks at Pepsi went the extra mile to package these throwback products in retro packaging. It's refreshing to see these nostalgic cans on the shelf in my refrigerator.

But Where is the Promotion?

I have but two complaints about Throwback Pepsi and Mountain Dew.

2. I was surprised and disappointed by the lack of advertising/promotion of these products. I did find the website that Pepsi created for these products, but I have seen little else to let the public know about this genius idea: no ads in magazines, on TV, etc.

I'm not sure why there has been little to no active promotion of Throwback Pepsi. Perhaps the product has received more publicity in other markets, but here in the Philadelphia/South Jersey region, it appears the only way to find the Throwback Pepsi is to discover it in the aisle of your local supermarket.

I only found out about Throwback Pepsi during my daily dose of reddit.com. If not for my Reddit obsession, I may never have known about Throwback Pepsi. And that just would have been sad.