A Look At The Cola Wars And Our Soda Favorites

With the recent news that Mr. Pibb was going back to its roots, my morning show cohost and I polled our listeners. We asked, "Are you Team Dr. Pepper or Team Mr. Pibb?" That's been a long-standing question and debate in the soda world. To illustrate just how divided a room can be, I am Team Dr. Pepper (though I haven't had a soda in years) and Mary-Katherine, is firmly Team Mr. Pibb.

This conversation got me thinking about the original cola war. It dates all the way back to 1975, when Pepsi launched a marketing campaign designed to take down the juggernaut of soft drinks- Coca-Cola.That's when The Pepsi Challenge was introduced. The premise was pretty simple. Consumers took a blind taste test of the two brands to see which they liked better.

Get our free mobile app

Look! I grew up in the 70s and 80s. The Pepsi Challenge was woven into the fabric of our lives and taste buds. I will confess it. I have always personally preferred the taste of Coke, though I never sat down for a blind test. That said, I really do think I could tell them apart.

Of course, it was the increase in the popularity of Pepsi that ultimately led to the birth of New Coke.

See, in response to the increased popularity of Pepsi, Coca-Cola tinkered with the sweetness of its formula and launched the new taste in 1985. To say it didn't go well is an understatement.

It only took months for the company to revert back to the 'classic' Coke formula.

It hasn't changed since and Coca-Cola remains the top dog in U.S. soda sales. In fact, according to USA Today, Dr. Pepper claimed the #2 spot in 2024. Sprite even surpassed Pepsi for the #3 spot.

It always struck me as odd that RC Cola has never really entered the fray. Growing up (and to this day), RC is my favorite soft drink of them all.

However, RC was nowhere to be found in those 2024 Top 10 rankings.

But, the cola wars rage on. Each of the major brands continues to unveil new soft drinks, new twists on flavors, and returns to classic formulas and marketing. That's exactly why Mr. Pibb is making a comeback. It seems it has a score to settle with the Dr.