Making A Comeback? Crystal Pepsi Is, But It’s Just Not Clear When

Is Crystal Pepsi making a comeback? There is a movement hoping it will be making a comeback.

The Huffington Post is reporting that the whole effort is the result of one man who is a huge fan of Crystal Pepsi. Kevin Strahle, a competitive eater and YouTube celebrity who goes by L.A. Beast on Twitter, has started a campaign in the hopes that Crystal Pepsi would be making a comeback. He began with trending a special Twitter hashtag, #BringBackCrystalPEPSI, made numerous YouTube videos, and began circulating a petition suggesting Crystal Pepsi begin making a comeback. The petition has been signed over 34,000 times.

Crystal Pepsi, as many would remember, was introduced by Pepsi in the early 1990s as an alternative to the caramel-colored cola. The caramel coloring was believed to be a carcinogen, and Pepsi wanted to produce an alternative. Unfortunately, customers did not agree, and Crystal Pepsi went the way of Tab Clear and New Formula Coca-Cola.

There is a personal angle for Strahle here, too. Many years ago, Strahle was stocking shelves for Pepsi until a regional manager told him he was “not persistent enough to be a salesmen here at Pepsi.” Upon hearing this, Strahle quit Pepsi.

According to Time, Strahle just may get his wish. On June 8, Strahle got a response from Pepsi. In a written letter, Pepsi said that although Crystal Pepsi was not making a comeback as Strahle wished, he and the millions of others who have been so adamant about Crystal Pepsi returning that Pepsi thinks those followers will be happy with what’s in store.

Strahle tweeted to his followers, “Just received this from @pepsi on twitter a min ago It is my duty to share it with all of you. #BringBackCrystalPEPSI.”

It would seem that Strahle’s campaigning, convincing President Obama and late night show hosts to join the conversation, and all of the petitions have made a positive impression. Pepsi is going to produce something akin to Crystal Pepsi to appease the millions that joined Strahle in this endeavor.

So Crystal Pepsi may not be making a comeback, but Pepsi may introduce a new low-sodium, caffeine-free, clear cola product to replace Crystal Pepsi. And in today’s market, with customers trying to eat and drink healthier, there just may be a market for such a product. Still, Crystal Pepsi is often found on lists of history’s greatest flops or products that historically fail. It even made Time’s “100 worst ideas of the 20th Century.”

[Image courtesy of Neogaf]