Caffeine-Free Pepsi
 | |
 Can of Caffeine-Free diet Pepsi with the 2005 design | |
| Type | Cola |
|---|---|
| Manufacturer | Pepsi |
| Origin | United States |
| Introduced | 1982 |
| Related products | Caffeine-Free Coca-Cola |
| Website | pepsi.com/caffeine-free |
Caffeine-Free Pepsi is a version of Pepsi that omits the caffeine that is customarily part of a cola. The drink has been marketed by PepsiCo since 1982. A sugar-free variant, Caffeine-Free Diet Pepsi, also exists. Caffeine-Free Pepsi is marketed and distincted with a gold colored brand and packaging.[1]
History
[edit]The product was introduced under the brand name Pepsi Free in 1982.[2] It was claimed by PepsiCo to be 99.7 percent caffeine free.[3] Diet Pepsi Free, a version based on Diet Pepsi, was also launched.[4][5] The "Pepsi Free" name was phased out by 1987[citation needed] and both were rebranded to their present names. As of 1994, it ranked as the 10th most sold soft drink in the United States.[6]
In popular culture
[edit]Pepsi Free (as it was then known) was the subject of a scene in the 1985 blockbuster film Back to the Future. Upon entering a café in 1955, Marty McFly (Michael J. Fox) asks for a Tab (Coca-Cola's first version of a sugar-free soft drink, which was not available until 1963) and is told that he cannot have a "tab," unless he orders something. He then asks for a Pepsi Free and is told, "If you want a Pepsi, pal, you're gonna pay for it!" ("Free" is here being mistaken for gratis.).[7][8]
Notes
[edit]- ^ "Breathtaking Design Strategy" (PDF). Arnell Group. 2008.
- ^ Dougherty, Philip H. (1982-10-25). "ADVERTISING; Pepsico Sets the Debut Of a Drink, Pepsi Free". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2023-03-03.
- ^ "Decaffeinated Pepsi Free heads for US marketplace". Christian Science Monitor. ISSN 0882-7729. Retrieved 2023-03-03.
- ^ Ferraro, Thomas (November 2, 1984). "Pepsi dumps saccharin out of diet drinks - UPI Archives". UPI. Retrieved 2023-03-03.
- ^ "Pepsi introduces diet and caffeine free colas - UPI Archives". UPI. Retrieved 2025-09-10.
- ^ "Corrections (Published 1995)". The New York Times. 1995-02-02. Retrieved 2025-09-10.
- ^ "Diet Drinks Get Aliases (Published 2004)". 2004-12-20. Retrieved 2025-09-10.
- ^ Meslow, Scott (2010-10-26). "5 Things 'Back to the Future' Tells Us About the Past". The Atlantic. Retrieved 2025-09-10.
External links
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