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The history of the appearance of Pepsi in the Soviet Union. How the Pepsi Cola company appeared, developed and competed

The Pepsi drink is now familiar to everyone and there is no need to explain what it is. There have been many scandals and discussions around it - this is the eternal war with Coca-Cola, and waves of controversy that regularly appear in society about how harmful or beneficial this drink is. And yet, a large number of people in all countries of the world drink it.

The Pepsi brand is one of the few that have shown what real success means. And success is exactly what all businessmen want to achieve, isn’t it? Therefore, let's plunge into the history of the creation and formation of the great business giant - Pepsi Co.

Creation of a drink and entry into the market

The creator of the Pepsi drink is pharmacist Caleb Bradham, who lived in North Carolina. Caleb had his own small business - a pharmacy. In his spare time, he loved to experiment with ingredients and dreamed of creating his own soft drink that would conquer the whole world. And in 1898 he succeeded, although Caleb himself did not even suspect it at the time. He didn’t think about the name of the new drink for a long time and called it simply “Brad’s drink.” The pharmacist added sparkling water, sugar, vanilla and kola nuts to his “Brad's Drink.” The drink began to be sold in some stores and pharmacies and was positioned as a way to strengthen the body, improve digestion and lift mood.

However, Caleb Bradham quickly stopped liking this name. He wanted to put the very essence of the drink's recipe into it, so the product was renamed Pepsi-Cola - due to the ingredients used pepsin and cola. The success of the drink with the new name became stunning, and Caleb made the clear decision to open his own production company. This is how Pepsi Co. was born.

In the year the company was founded, the first advertisement for the drink was released. “The Pepsi-Cola drink strengthens the body and refreshes the mind! Do you want to get rid of neurosis, melancholy or migraine? Pepsi-Cola will help with this too!” - approximately these words sounded in the very first advertisement for the drink in the print edition of the New Bern Sun Journal.

Revealing the secret of the recipe

In the 1920s, the American sugar market was experiencing difficult times, partly to blame for this was the First World War. Since sugar is one of the basic components of Pepsi-Cola, the company also found itself in decline, and almost on the verge of bankruptcy. To somehow save the situation, Caleb Bradham decided to reveal to the world the secret of preparing the drink, thinking that proving that it does not contain any substances harmful to health could increase sales. As it turned out, the drink contains 12 components, including petitgrain oil, cinnamon oil, nutmeg oil, lime juice, phosphoric acid, burnt sugar and others.

Reforms that brought success

Around the same time, the company was incorporated nationally and became known as the National Pepsi-Cola Company. However, it did not remain state-owned for long. After a while, the company was bought by the head of the Loft Inc. corporation. Charles Guth. The “national” prefix had to be removed again, but this had absolutely no effect on the success of the production and sales of the drink. Quite the contrary – with the new management, the company’s development began more rapidly.

During the Great Depression, many businesses were in panic and horror of what was happening. This depression simply erased many from the market. Pepsi-Cola Company also suffered, but fortunately, not so dramatically. Prices for products had to be significantly reduced. A standard bottle of Pepsi-Cola cost only five cents, while similar products from major competitors sold for two or even three times as much. With such a price, people began to buy the drink more actively, and this helped the company not to go bankrupt during that difficult period.

During World War II, the Pepsi-Cola Company decided to use the tricolor crown symbol in its symbolism, thus showing its support for American soldiers. This move was not ignored by consumers - they began to treat the drink more loyally.

Pepsi-Cola is the first foreign product that began to be sold freely in the territory of the (now former) USSR. This happened in the early 1970s. The head of the corporation at that time was Donald Kendal, and he personally paid a visit to the capital of the Soviet Union to negotiate the introduction of the Pepsi-Cola drink to the Soviet market. The negotiations were carried out successfully. There were practically no foreign products on the Soviet market, and the appearance of the American drink created a real marketing explosion, which benefited Pepsi-Cola Co.

The mid-1980s were Pepsi-Cola's most successful years. Sales then surprised even the corporation's chief marketers. At the same time, Pepsi-Cola acquired the popular beverage brand Seven Up. According to ratings from various print publications, Pepsi-Cola became the most respected by consumers and the most popular company in the world.

"Star" advertisements

Pepsi-Cola is the only company in the world that has attracted so many celebrities to create its commercials. In 1980, the king of pop of all times, Michael Jackson, starred in a Pepsi commercial. In subsequent years, singer Tina Turner, Gloria Estefan, and singer Lionel Ricci took part in the creation of advertising. Already in the 2000s, sensational advertising appeared with the participation of such world-famous stars as Britney Spears, Beoince, Pink and Enrique Iglesias. Britney Spears received the largest fee in the history of commercial advertising for this shoot - $94 million. Rock band Papa Roach, singer Fergie, model Aishwarya Rai, athletes Thierry Henry and Lionel Messi also collaborated with Pepsi-Cola Company. No other company in the world can boast of such a large number of stars who have contributed to its formation and development.

Indra Nooyi

By 1994, thanks to her success, Indra Nooyi was simply a tasty morsel for many headhunters. And one of them made her an offer that she could not refuse - the post of vice president at Pepsi Co. And already in 2001, Indra took the post of chief president and financial director of the corporation. And as objective data show, Indra Nooyi ended up at Pepsi Co for a reason. It was she who initiated many reforms within the company, which subsequently brought Pepsi Co success. Since she began serving as CFO, the company's revenue has grown an average of 72%, and net income has nearly doubled.

Battle of two "stakes"

The war between Coca-Cola and Pepsi-Cola is perhaps one of the most “eternal” and most discussed. And this war has been going on for more than a hundred years. Such fierce competition is understandable, because the drinks have a lot in common. They were both created by pharmacists, both were initially positioned as a “medicinal strengthening agent”, both have almost the same composition and taste, and they appeared almost at the same time (Coca-Cola was 12 years earlier than Pepsi-Cola). Throughout their existence and to this day, the two giants have competed with each other in various aspects of their activities: in the brand logo, in pricing policy, in improving the recipe, in conquering new territories, in advertising campaigns.

So-called “blind tests” were carried out, when the experiment participants were offered two drinks without any identifying features, after tasting which they chose the one they liked best. Over the years, both companies have become winners of such tests. It is interesting that in studies conducted by Pepsi Co itself, this particular drink was the winner, and in those conducted on the initiative of the Coca-Cola Company, Coca-Cola came out the winner. There is nothing to say here; in war, all means are good.

And although Pepsi-Cola is now sold in every store, and you can often meet fans of this particular drink, Coca-Cola still does not completely give up its leadership position to Pepsi. Why is this happening? Firstly, Coca-Cola appeared earlier, although not by much. During this time, it had already managed to conquer the market, and Pepsi had to win it back, which was not always successful. Secondly, Coca-Cola is the most recognizable brand all over the world, and this is no longer a discovery for anyone. According to global research, brand awareness is as much as 98 (!) percent. Coca-Cola is a true symbol of America, and there cannot be two symbolic drinks. Many experts believe that Coca-Cola is much more creative and interesting in its advertising. It has always focused on classics and eternal values ​​and successfully uses this, while Pepsi-Cola gravitates more towards something new, youthful. Both strategies could have been winning, however, in this particular situation, Coca-Cola emerged as the winner. However, the battle is not over yet. Who knows, maybe in time everything will change?

Pepsi is one of the most famous and influential brands in the world with an annual turnover of more than 65 billion US dollars. Few people know that Pepsi today is not just a manufacturer of sparkling soda, but also the owner of a huge number of different enterprises where drinks, juices, dairy products, snacks, and baby food are produced.

While writing this article, I was surprised how many other famous brands in Russia work under the wing of this international giant. For me, Pepsi has always been associated with soda. But now I have radically changed my idea of ​​this company and learning the history of its creation has become doubly interesting.

Our article today will be dedicated to PepsiCo, the world's second largest and Russia's largest manufacturer of food and beverages. Eh, it’s not for nothing that Pythagoras said 2500 years ago that the world is ruled by numbers. We completely agree with him, so we present here several important digital indicators of PepsiCo:

  • Pepsi turned 114 years old in 2012.
  • 297 thousand people are PepsiCo employees.
  • 12th place in the ranking of the most influential women is occupied by PepsiCo CEO Indra Noori.
  • The company produces a wide range of products, including 22 brands.
  • The company's key business areas are represented in 200 countries.
  • $65 billion is PepsiCo's annual sales.

How did PepsiCo, whose history began in the 19th century, manage not only to “survive” to the 21st, but also to become the largest company known to the whole world?

They say that success is not a point, but a forward movement. Let's take a look at the path the company has taken to achieve its goals.

It all started back in August 1898, when Caleb Bradham, a pharmacist from New Bern, came up with a recipe for cola nut and vanilla syrup.

This mixture, according to the inventor, promoted proper digestion and acted as the enzyme pepsin in the gastric juice.

However, by 1903 it acquired the familiar name “Pepsi-Cola” (hereinafter referred to as Pepsi) and received wide recognition among the masses.

The Pepsi drink was invented 12 years after the birth of its main competitor -.

Let us note that Pepsi has been competing with its “big brother” all its adult life, not wanting to give up its place as leader without a fight.

In 1903, Bradham registered the Pepsi-Cola trademark and launched the first advertising campaign. For PR, he invites the popular racing driver Barney Oldfield, from whose lips we learn that Pepsi is a good stimulant before the race, “a magnificent, refreshing and strengthening drink.”

But 20 years later, in 1923, The Pepsi-Cola Company found itself broke due to rising sugar prices. To file bankruptcy, Bradham has to reveal the recipe for making syrup and confirm the truth of this information in court. The collapse of the company declassified the formula of the drink, and the Pepsi recipe for the “23rd year sample” was as follows:

  • Sugar: 7500 lbs.
  • Water: 1200 gallons
  • Caramel (burnt sugar): 12 gallons
  • Lime juice: 12 gallons
  • Phosphoric acid: 58 lbs.
  • Ethyl alcohol: 0.5 gallons
  • Lemon oil: 6 oz.
  • Orange oil: 5 oz.
  • Cinnamon oil: 4 ounces
  • Nutmeg oil: 2 ounces
  • Coriander oil: 2 ounces
  • Petitgrain Lemon Oil: 1 oz.

The whole thing had to be mixed for two hours using pre-boiled water with sugar. US approximate values: 1 pound = 454 g, 1 gallon = 3.8 L, 1 ounce = 28.3 g.

The path to success was not as sweet as the drink itself. The next owner of Pepsi could not get the company back on its feet and the company suffered a second bankruptcy in 1931.

She is then purchased by Charles Guth, president of the confectionery company Loft Incorporated. Under his leadership, the company made a bold marketing move that helped it stay afloat during the Great Depression of the 1930s. Pepsi is striking a blow at Coca-Cola's pricing policy by offering consumers twice as much of the drink for 5 cents as its No. 1 competitor does for the same money - 12 ounces versus 6.

This action did not hit consumers' wallets, but it knocked out Coke, which had a billion unsold 6-ounce bottles.

Pepsi-Cola is on the road!
Twelve full ounces is a lot!
You pay, as before, you get double.
This is our drink, Pepsi, we are with you!”

By the way, 12 ounces is, indeed, a lot, translated into the usual units of volume - 360 ml. Thus, Pepsi wins children's love, significantly increasing its army of fans.

During World War II, Pepsi would change its logo to a red and blue circle bisected by a white wavy stripe. This symbol, with the colors of the US flag, paid tribute to American soldiers.

In the 40s, Pepsi overtook other popular drinks of the time, such as Royal Crown and Dr. Pepper, and becomes the #2 soda after cola. Currently, the distribution of forces remains the same as 70 years ago.

However, in some ways Pepsi “jumped ahead” of its main competitor. The company proudly says that Pepsi-Cola became the first Western consumer product in the USSR.

While Coca-Cola was on the other side of the Iron Curtain, Pepsi-Cola Company opened a window into the Soviet Union, and already in 1974 introduced the citizens of the USSR to the legendary soda.

Nikita Sergeevich Khrushchev himself advertised Pepsi! It happened like this: In 1959, Donald Kendall, head of the international operations department of the Pepsi-Cola Company, came to the American National Exhibition in Sokolniki.

He fulfills his mission at the exhibition 100% - he ensures that Khrushchev personally tries the signature drink. Journalists did not fail to photograph the Soviet leader, in whose hands was a glass with the Pepsi logo.

I don’t know whether a lifetime monument was erected for Mr. Kendall’s services, but what is certain is that in 1963 he became president of the company.

The case, which began in 1959, was completed by negotiations in 1972, where, within the framework of an agreement on bilateral trade between the USSR and the USA, it was decided that factories for the production of Pepsi-Cola would be built in the Soviet Union, and Pepsi would receive the right to import and distribute Stolichnaya vodka in the USA.

In 1974, the first soda production plant opened in Novorossiysk, and from 1979, glass Pepsi bottles with labels in Russian began to appear en masse in the USSR.

However, the company’s successes do not end there. In 1962, PepsiCo removed the word “Cola” from its name and got rid of the similarity in the logo spelling, distancing itself as much as possible from its main competitor “”.

In 1965, The Pepsi-Cola Company merged with the salty snack manufacturer Frito Lay. The PepsiCo company, which changed its name, was born, and in some sources 1965 is listed as the year the company was founded.

Essentially, from this moment on, the company ceases to focus only on sparkling water and begins to develop in new directions. And by 1970, PepsiCo's turnover exceeded $1 billion.

As you know, there is no patented recipe for success in the world. Rather, we can identify various company strategies, which, each in its own way, are a lever for switching to success. For PepsiCo, advertising becomes such a lever in many ways.

Let’s forget for a moment the saying “a good product does not need advertising,” because even he himself respected advertising and admitted that he would give 3 dollars out of 4 available for advertising.

In 1960, PepsiCo began collaborating with BBDO, the largest and most awarded advertising network in the world.

It is BBDO that PepsiCo owes its brightness and originality

At this time, PepsiCo strives to present the drink not so much as a mixture of syrup and water, but as a lifestyle and mood. By 1964, this idea takes on a classic form: “You are the Pepsi generation.”

Here are a few more examples: recognizing that cola has the right to Santa Claus in the winter (we wrote about this in an article about the company), Pepsi “adopted” this grandfather for the summer. So, this New Year's character orders a Pepsi at a hot beach party, making the excuse that he is not at work, but on vacation.

And what is the advertising campaign of the 70s worth? "Pepsi challenges"? As a result of a blind test conducted by PepsiCo, it turned out that in 3 out of 5 cases people prefer Pepsi over Coke. This 3:2 score is announced in television advertising, which causes a great commotion in the enemy camp.

The Coca-Cola Company changes the recipe of cola, adding more sugar and making its taste closer to the taste of Pepsi. Loyal fans of Coca-Cola immediately stand under red and white banners to defend the former taste of soda.

This leads to the return of the classic cola recipe and the dismissal of all top managers who came up with the ill-fated idea of ​​change. So much for advertising wars.

Today, the winner in the CIS countries is mainly Coca-Cola, and in Asian countries (India, China) it is PepsiCo. By the way, there were some embarrassments in the Celestial Empire. PepsiCo literally translated its advertising slogan “Live with the Pepsi Generation” into Chinese.

As a result, the English version of the soda motto (Come Alive With the Pepsi Generation) sounded somewhat unexpected for the residents of China in their native language: “Pepsi will make your ancestors rise from their graves.”

In 1984, Wayne Calloway took over as president of PepsiCo. At this time, youth idols, show business and sports stars became the faces of Pepsi. Thus, PepsiCo signs a contract with Madonna, but breaks it after the release of the scandalous video clip for the song “Like a Prayer.”

PepsiCo invites Michael Jackson himself to collaborate. The “Chase” video featuring the King of Pop was called “the most spectacular in the history of advertising.” True, the video itself turned out to be long. But on Youtube I also managed to find a short Pepsi commercial starring the King of Pop.

The story with the participation of basketball star Shaquille O'Neill also received praise; the advertisement starring him won prizes at the prestigious Cannes Advertising Festival. As for the advertising budget, PepsiCo has a record here too - a 90-minute video with Britney Spears cost several million dollars and became one of the most expensive in US history.

The public's favorite footballer, Beckham, was also seen promoting Pepsi, more than once. The “Not Bekhmem’s Day” advertisement will surely make you smile:

Thus, PepsiCo has shown that advertising is not only an effective tool for promoting a product and an “engine of trade,” but also a work of art.

PepsiCo is currently headed by Indra Nooyi, an Indian-American entrepreneur.

During her reign, Indra Nooyi set about expanding PepsiCo's influence outside the United States. She is called a brilliant strategist, and Fortune magazine even predicts her career in big politics.

According to Ms. Nooyi herself, not only she, but also the entire friendly team of employees and top managers, who are not just colleagues at work, but also friends who help both in the profession and in everyday life, help PepsiCo achieve its goals.

Under Ms. Nooyi's leadership, PepsiCo began to expand its portfolio of healthy food and beverage products. Currently, the Pepsi brand accounts for a little more than half of revenue, with the rest coming from other products.

In general, Indra Nooyi is a very interesting woman and perhaps I will write a separate article about her. During the preparation of this article, I managed to quickly familiarize myself with her statements and I really liked some of them:

The modern PepsiCo company is a manufacturer of carbonated and non-carbonated soft drinks, snacks, cereal products and cereals.

In 2009, as part of a strategy to expand the range of healthy products, the company acquired more than 75% of the shares of the largest domestic juice manufacturer Lebedyansky OJSC. PepsiCo calls this deal, which costs $1.4 billion, one of the best in its history.

Here are the brands included in PepsiCo in Russia:

For me personally, this is an excellent example of how, starting with one product, you can over time, having accumulated financial fat, expand your activities to other markets. This is such a corporate example of creation.

The example that immediately comes to mind is one that owns more than 220 companies. Only there he is the main owner, the main shareholder, while Pepsi does not have a clear owner and is owned by many shareholders.

PepsiCo keeps up with the times and is focused on development and change. In Forbes magazine's 2012 ranking of the world's most innovative companies, PepsiCo ranks 58th. Note that Coca-Cola is not on this list.

PepsiCo contrasts change with stability, its last multimillion-dollar rebrand dating back to 2011. Among other innovations, the logo was also transformed, which the company has modified about a dozen times already.

In its activities, the company is guided by 3 principles - honesty, consistency and fairness. PepsiCo formulates its mission as follows: to become the best manufacturer of prepared food and beverages. Whether it will overtake its main competitor, the Coca-Cola company, time will tell.

And here is how the price of PepsiCo shares changed from 1978 to 2014:

Using this chart, you can judge the periods of growth and decline of the company, since any negative and positive aspects in the company are immediately reflected in the price of the shares.

As of this writing, PepsiCo's common share price is $81.40. In my opinion, investing in shares of this company is profitable in the long term.

If you had invested in shares of this brand 20 years ago, in February 1984, the amount of your investment would have increased 40 times! $1,000 would now be $40,000, not counting the dividends the company pays annually.

In the short term, due to the unclear situation in the global financial markets, the future of your investment in Pepsi is very unclear. However, this applies not only to investments in Pepsi, but also in any other company.

Pepsi has enormous financial assets, which it will likely continue to use to capture new markets and expand existing ones.

Food and drinks are something that will always be relevant, even during a crisis. Therefore, the value of a given company's assets will always increase. Although, to be honest, I like Coca-Cola's marketing better. He's more aggressive or something.

But if we evaluate the taste qualities of these brands, then here I give my vote to Pepsi. And although I try to drink carbonated drinks less often in order to improve my health, I allow myself to drink a can of Pepsi about once every 1-2 months.

This concludes my review, and in conclusion I suggest you watch another cool commercial from this company:

Today it is one of the most popular “drinking” brands. Not a single youth party or holiday is complete without this. Yes, what can I say, he is all around and everywhere. It is offered in catering establishments, including fast food outlets, cafes and restaurants. Despite the cost, which is higher than that of domestically produced drinks, Pepsi always enjoys success among the target audience of loyal fans, constantly expanding its scope.

It is curious that the story with which it all began is connected with pharmaceuticals. Exactly. The first recipe for the famous Pepsi appeared thanks to pharmacist Caleb Bradham. He dreamed of creating a soft drink and worked hard to achieve this goal. Experiment after experiment, and his efforts were crowned with success. This is how a drink was born, which later became the basis for the recipe of the popular Pepsi-Cola.

Brief history of the company's development

Caleb Bradham made the drink from sugar, vanilla, butter, soda water and kola nuts in 1893. Let's dwell a little on the last ingredient. Kola nuts are the fruits of an evergreen tree up to 20 meters high. Outwardly, they look a little like chestnuts. The kola nut fruits themselves reach up to 5 cm in length. They have pronounced tonic properties. They are used to stimulate the central nervous system, activate muscle energy, and also cardiac activity.

That's why Caleb Bradham positioned his brainchild as a cheerful, strengthening, and digestive drink.

The drink was named after its creator - Brad's drink.

This consonance did not seem to Bradham the most successful. Five years later, the drink has a new name - more catchy and memorable. Pepsi-Cola gets its name from its main ingredients. At that time it was pepsin and cola.

The drink quickly gained popularity. A few more years later, Caleb Bradham became the owner of his own Pepsi-Cola Company. June 16, 1903 is considered the birthday of the trademark of the same name. But not everything was so smooth on the path to further success and prosperity.

After World War I, the company's income began to fall sharply. The company, founded by Caleb Bradham, went bankrupt, and a few years later was nationalized by the state, which is reflected in the name - National Pepsi-Cola Company. Over time, it is sold again. This time, Charlie Gut becomes its owner and the refreshing drink is again produced by the Pepsi-Cola Company.

To save the company from bankruptcy, its new owner proposes to increase the volume of bottles to 340 ml.

At the time, Coca-Cola's main competitor was selling its product for five cents per 6-ounce bottle, half the price of Pepsi. The fact is that this particular size was suitable for vending machines. Considering that Coca-Cola's stock of 6-ounce bottles was about 1 billion, and Pepsi-Cola offered 12-ounce bottles at the same price, the idea paid off. People preferred to buy a bottle of Pepsi almost twice as large.

A new impetus for the development of the company was the placement of a tricolor crown on a container with a drink in 1941. She talked about how the company supports the soldiers of the American army. In 1971, Pepsi-Cola found its fans among Soviet residents. At that time, Donald Kendall was the president of PepsiCo. Special for The drink gained popularity in the Soviet Union when Nikita Khrushchev tasted it during his visit to the USA.

In 1985, the 7up trademark became owned by PepsiCo. Throughout its history, the drink has changed slogans, mottos, bottle shapes and designs. One day the color of the drink even changed. It was a New Year's event. A special offer aimed at teenagers was the introduction of Pepsi Blue, which was actually blue in color.

Pepsi has collected a huge number of stars in its advertising campaigns. Mostly they were musicians. Michael Jackson, Beyonce, Pink, Fergie advertised the drink at different times. Jackson was even injured during the filming of the video, which involved fireworks. Rumor has it that it was then that he had to undergo his first skin whitening operation.

Company today

PepsiCo is represented in two hundred countries around the world. Its representative offices employ more than three hundred thousand employees. Annual revenue is more than 65 billion per year, and a wide range of products includes 22 trademarks.

Manufactured products

Among the products sold in Russia, PepsiCo presents:

  • Drinks: 7up, Essentuki, Aqua Minerale, Mirinda, Aqua Minerale, Adrenaline Rush, Springs of Russia, Mountain Dew.
  • Juices: Fruit Garden, Ya, Beloved, Miracle Berry, J-7.
  • : Cheerful Milkman, House in the village, 33 cows, Kuban cow, Imunele, Bio Max, Miracle.
  • Snacks: Xpycteam, Lay's, Cheetos.
  • Baby food: Agusha.

And this is not a complete list. The fact is that in 2008, PepsiCo bought out most of the shares of the Russian juice production company Lebedyansky. Two years later, she agreed to acquire the Wimm-Bill-Dann company, which produces juices and dairy products.

Are Coca-Cola and Pepsi different companies?

While competition continues between two well-known brands producing similar product, buyers also have disputes. In fact, we are talking about two completely different companies - PepsiCo and The Coca-Cola Company. Each has its own story and its own formula for success. But the fact that they compete with each other and encourage buyers to constantly compare tastes, prices, and packaging designs remains a fact.

Brands are openly fighting for their audience. For example, in the 1980s, PepsiCo ran a promotion in which consumers blindly tasted the drink to determine which flavor they liked best. By winning this battle of preferences, Pepsi-Cola at one time increased the popularity of the brand.

If you are going to open your own establishment, then this is a very important part of the entire equipment.

One of the most environmentally friendly and easily recyclable packaging is aluminum containers. You can read more about them in

How much does Pepsi cost (average price for 1 liter)?

Moscow and Moscow region.

Being so desirable in Soviet times and so controversial today, this drink under the brand name Pepsi has become one of the favorite thirst quenchers of millions of our fellow citizens. Moreover, along with its eternal rival - the carbonated drink.

Pepsi was invented back in 1898 in America. The discoverer was Caleb Bradham, an American pharmacist from New Bern. Then the carbonated liquid, which was called Brad's Drink, contained pepsin along with cola nut extract. By the way, the pharmacist attributed special healing properties to this drink and assured that pepsin has a beneficial effect on digestion.

Only in 1903 did the non-alcoholic soft drink become known under the name familiar to modern people - Pepsi or Pepsi-Cola. In 1964, a diet version of Pepsi was released. Today, all rights to the production of world-famous soda belong to the American company PepsiCo.

As mentioned above, there are currently a lot of conflicting opinions about the harms and benefits of Pepsi. In order to find out the possible unpleasant consequences of drinking this drink, let's take a closer look at the composition of Pepsi.

Pepsi composition

So, looking at the label of a Pepsi bottle, we see the following picture: prepared drinking water, sugar, carbon dioxide, natural sugar coloring dye, acidity regulator: phosphoric acid, caffeine, gum arabic stabilizer, natural flavor.

Many of these substances in Pepsi are a mystery to some, so let's take a closer look at them. The first three names are the integral components of any sweet soda. Sugar gives the drink its sweetness, and carbon dioxide gives it bubbles.

The natural dye sugar color helps turn both Pepsi and Coca-Cola an unnatural brown-black color. Although it is actively used in the food industry, its effect on the human body has not been fully studied.

Orthophosphoric acid, also called E338, acts as an acidity regulator. According to reliable sources, its consumption can cause stomach upsets, increase acidity levels and, accordingly, disrupt the acid-base balance.

Caffeine is a fairly harmless substance when consumed in small doses, but it causes addiction in humans and is considered a source of problems with the cardiovascular system. That is, the presence of this substance in carbonated drinks is not particularly welcome.

E414 or gum arabic stabilizer in Pepsi helps preserve the taste of the product and also prevents sugar from crystallizing. This substance, which is widely used in the food industry, is obtained naturally from certain types of acacia trees. There is no reliable data on the effect of gum arabic on human health, but it is known that ancient people consumed it.

Well, the last component in Pepsi is natural flavoring. But, strangely enough, the manufacturer didn’t bother to indicate which one, so we can only guess whether it’s really natural.

Calorie content 38 kcal

Energy value (Ratio of proteins, fats, carbohydrates - bju):

: 0 g (~0 kcal)
: 0 g (~0 kcal)
: 8.7 g (~35 kcal)

Energy ratio (b|w|y): 0%|0%|92%

Recipes with Pepsi



No Pepsi recipes found

Product proportions. How many grams?

1 teaspoon contains 5 grams
1 tablespoon contains 18 grams
in 1 glass 250 grams
in 1 jar 500 grams

Nutritional value and composition

Organic acids

Mono- and disaccharides

Pepsi reviews and comments

gryja 15.07.2013

Sugar color - burnt sugar, caramel, that is. Many natural food products have also not been fully studied. This doesn't say anything. Phosphoric acid is not as scary as it is made out to be. For an ulcer sufferer, of course, it is harmful, just like alcohol. For a healthy person it is not scary. It is useful for a patient with gastritis with low acidity. In addition, it is used in animal husbandry to prevent urolithiasis; so... If you have kidney stones and do not have gastritis with high acidity, I recommend it. E414 or gum arabic stabilizer... There is some kind of catch here... No matter how much I drank Pepsi, every time I read the ingredients - THERE IS NO SUCH THING! There is no need to exaggerate, it’s better to read what a deadly cocktail our fatherland produces...

Alexei 07.07.2018

There is a known case that back in the USSR, kitchen workers from an orphanage were “imprisoned” because, among other things, they stole tea from the children, and instead they were “mixed” with burnt sugar. It was believed to be harmful to the heart. Not to be unfounded, it was in the city of Chernigov in Ukraine, and the children's plant then belonged to the local plant "Khimvolokno". I don’t remember the year, it doesn’t matter...

Brand name: Pepsi / Pepsi

Year the brand entered the market: 1898

Industry: soft drinks

Products: soft carbonated drinks

Owning company: PepsiCo

Company headquarters: USA

"Pepsi-Cola"(English: Pepsi-Cola) or simply “Pepsi” is a popular non-alcoholic soft drink sold all over the world. The main competitor for Coca-Cola, for many years it has been in 1-2 place in terms of sales. The rights to the Pepsi-Cola trademark belong to the American company PepsiCo.

First manufactured in the 1890s in New Bern, North Carolina by pharmacist Caleb Bradham. On August 28, 1898, "Brad's drink" was renamed "Pepsi-Cola". This year, Bradham's neighbor created the drink's first logo.

The Pepsi-Cola trademark was registered on June 16, 1903. According to one version, the name "Pepsi" Caleb Bradham derived it from the word dyspepsia, or from the substance pepsin contained in Pepsi.

1905 - The brand develops and becomes popular - the logo changes for the first time.

In 1906, the brand was registered in Canada, and a little later in Mexico. The slogan “The Original Pure Food Drink” appears on the logo:

In 1923, due to rising sugar prices as a result of World War I, PepsiCo went bankrupt. Its assets were sold.

Collapse Pepsi in 1923, the Pepsi-Cola formula was deprived of its secrecy. To file for bankruptcy, Caleb Davis Bradham, the creator of the drink and the head of the company, had to not only submit a syrup recipe to a federal court, but also confirm the truth of this information under oath. In exact translation it looks like this:

Main ingredients: Sugar: 7500 lbs, Water: 1200 gals, Caramel (burnt sugar): 12 gals, Lime Juice: 12 gals, Phosphoric Acid: 58 lbs, Ethyl Alcohol: 0.5 gals, Lemon Oil: 6 ozs, Orange Oil: 5 ozs , cinnamon oil: 4 oz., nutmeg oil: 2 oz., coriander oil: 2 oz., petitgrain oil: 1 oz. Stir for 2 hours, pre-boil water and sugar.

Little-known petitgrain oil is obtained by distilling the leaves, young branches and fruit ovaries of various types of citrus fruits. There are no substances hazardous to health in this recipe, with the exception of a huge amount of sugar. US approximate values: 1 pound = 454 g, 1 gallon = 3.8 L, 1 ounce = 28.3 g.

Eight years later the company went bankrupt again.

During the Depression of the 1930s, PepsiCo launched a successful attack on Coca-Cola's market position. Pepsi cola began selling in 12-ounce bottles for $5. A 6-ounce bottle of Coca-Cola also cost $5. Coca-Cola could not release the drink in another bottle because the vending machines accepted 5? coins, and Coca-Cola had a supply of 1 billion 6-ounce bottles left. In 1939, Pepsi-Cola became extremely popular among children.

During World War II, Pepsi Cola overtook both Royal Crown and Dr. Pepper and became the No. 2 drink after Coca-Cola.

In 1940, Loft Incorporated officially changed its name to Pepsi-Cola Company. The brand is registered in Argentina. Pepsi creates an advertising song that becomes a hit. Leaving a mark on the development of advertising, the song was translated into 55 languages ​​of the world. In the same year, the logo changes slightly:

In 1941, a popular symbol appeared - a red and blue circle divided in half by a white wavy stripe. This symbol paid tribute to American soldiers.

In the early 50s, Coca-Cola was 5 times faster than Pepsi-Cola. The red and blue circle is fixed in the new logo:

In 1959, company president Donald Kendall brought Pepsi-Cola to Russia, to the American National Exhibition in Sokolniki. US President Richard Nixon invited Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev to try a delicious American soft drink and handed him a glass with the logo "Pepsi-Cola". A photograph of Nikita Khrushchev with this glass spread across all newspapers and magazines, advertising Pepsi in a country that has not yet known its unforgettable taste.

In 1960, Coca-Cola was drunk 2.5 times more than Pepsi-Cola, and in 1985 - only 1.15 times. Pepsi announces a pitch among advertising agencies, which is won by the BBDO agency. With him Pepsi continues to collaborate to this day. Pepsi owes much of its vibrancy and originality to BBDO, the most creative advertising network in the world.

In 1962 Pepsi eliminates similarities in the spelling of drink names with its main competitor, Coca-Cola. The capital name and red colors have long been a common feature of the two companies. Pepsi removed the word "Cola" from the name, leaving only "Pepsi". The brand name is written in capital letters:

In 1964 for the first time in advertising Pepsi tries to show the drink through the mood and lifestyle of consumers, without focusing on its characteristics. Slogan "You belong to the generation Pepsi" entered advertising history by introducing Pepsi through style. Diet Pepsi (in Russia Pepsi Light) appears in the company's advertising. Later, Pepsi Free, Pepsi Cherry Wild and Pepsi Twist were released, as well as the blue drink Pepsi Blue, aimed at a teenage audience.

In 1965, the Pepsi-Cola Company merged with Frito lay, a manufacturer of salty snacks. This is how modern PepsiCo was born. The newborn company had 19 thousand employees and a turnover of $510 million. Donald Kendall (President of Pepsi-Cola Company) and Herman Lay (Frito Lay) officially announced the creation of PepsiCo.

In the mid-70s, PepsiCo ran a promotion called " Pepsi challenges." Blind tests were conducted to evaluate the two drinks. Participants in the action preferred Pepsi cola Coca-Cola by a 3:2 margin, and this fact was announced in television advertising.

Traditionally, PepsiCo sponsors the Democratic Party (US Democratic Party), while its main competitor Coca-Cola sponsors the Republicans (US Republican Party).

Production pepsi cola in the USSR began during detente, the beginning was laid by a meeting in 1971 between PepsiCo President Donald Kendall and Chairman of the Council of Ministers of the USSR Alexei Kosygin, at the meeting negotiations were held on possible economic cooperation. In 1972, within the framework of a bilateral trade agreement between the USSR and the USA, cooperation agreements were reached; as a result pepsi cola first began to be sold in the USSR (the first batch - in April 1973), and the construction of factories for the production of pepsi cola in the USSR (the first - in 1974 in Novorossiysk).

In 1973 the logo changes again:

In 1976, the "Have a Happy Happy Day" campaign was launched. Pepsi". She reflected the changing mood of a generation Pepsi for the better. The “Puppies” video, where a boy plays with a small dog, has become an advertising classic.

In 1979, the slogan “Catch the Spirit” appeared Pepsi", reflecting the mood of Americans optimistic about the future.

In 1984, Wayne Calloway took over as president of the Pepsi-Cola Company. Music advertising campaign starts. Faces Pepsi-Cola year after year, stars of show business and sports become idols of youth. The first person was Michael Jackson. The video with his participation “The Chase” was shown at the Grammy Awards and was called “the most spectacular video in the history of advertising.”

Advertising policy throughout its existence Pepsi was aimed at the young and energetic. Pepsi-Cola Company sponsored sports and musical events, invited youth idols to advertise, and presented Pepsi as a permanent attribute of youth parties.

In 1985, Pepsi-Cola becomes the largest manufacturer of carbonated drinks in the world.

In 1986 Pepsi acquires 7Up International.

In 1989, Fortune Magazine named the company one of the 10 most admired corporations in the world.

In 1991 Pepsi uses slanted italics and adds a red stripe following the logo, which symbolizes the brand's desire to reach new heights. In the same year, the company refused the services of Michael Jackson, who had long been the face of the company. Part of the reason was the accusation of indecent behavior against the King of Pop. This fact did not contribute to the creation of an ideal image for advertising. They needed someone who was more "clean" in this regard, and Cindy Crawford took Jackson's place. The model starred in a commercial, presenting a new modernized logo:

In 1993, a new advertising campaign began with the participation of basketball superstar Shaquille O'Neill, later recognized as the best in the USA. Commercials "Nothing but Pepsi"were awarded the main prizes at the prestigious Cannes Advertising Festival.

In 1996, the “blue” advertising campaign began. Bottles and jars with Pepsi turn blue. As part of the advertising campaign, BBDO launched 5 commercials. Probably one of the most striking and expensive advertising decisions was to repaint the huge Concorde liner in the famous “pepsin” color, which then went on a tour of 10 European cities to present the company’s new image. According to newspaper reports, it took 2,000 man-hours and 300 liters of special paint to repaint the fuselage and apply the logo. However, on this Pepsi didn’t stop - the video was shot in outer space. A spectacular photo of two cosmonauts on board the Mir station against the backdrop of a Pepsi flag with the inscription “Even in space” Pepsi changes style", spread all over the world. In the same year Pepsi signs a cooperation agreement with MTV. Russia hosts the most successful bottle cap game, Million Mania.

In 1997, the company held the "Spice Girls - Super Show" raffle. 20 fans Pepsi got the opportunity to attend the only “live” concert of the group in Istanbul. Pepsi becomes the title sponsor of the Russian Football Championship.

In 1998, PepsiCo acquired Tropicana, the largest natural juice producer in the United States. Celebrating 100th anniversary Pepsi. The logo changes again - the circle becomes a three-dimensional model of a ball placed on a dark blue background:

At the beginning of 2000 market capitalization Pepsi amounted to 44 billion dollars, capitalization of Coca-Cola - 128 billion.

In 2001 Pepsi acquires Quaker Oats, a cereal company, along with its Gatorade sports drink division.

In 2003-2004 logo updated:

In 2006, turnover amounted to 35 billion dollars.

In 2008, PepsiCo's revenue exceeded $43 billion, with expected sales of the company's products at retail prices amounting to about $109 billion. Each of PepsiCo's 18 brands exceeds $1 billion in annual sales. The most radical rebranding has been carried out in all the years of its existence. Pepsi. Some products are being renamed: Mountain Dew to Mtn Dew, Diet Pepsi Max to Pepsi Max. The red and blue circle turns into a smiley face whose smile depth varies across different products. A discreet smile is the logo of the entire brand, a grin is Diet Pepsi, laughter is Pepsi Max. The changes did not affect only corporate colors. The cost of the rebranding campaign is estimated at $1.2 billion.

In 2010, PepsiCo merged with the largest bottler companies - The Pepsi Bottling Group (PBG) and PepsiAmericas. As a result, the second food group in the world (after Nestle) in terms of production volume was formed.

In 2011, "faces" Pepsi football player David Beckham, who had previously collaborated with Pepsi-Cola more than once, and Colombian actress, model and TV presenter Sofia Vergara.