It pushed consumer research to harness the clear craze and the New Age trend, and find a healthier recipe to stimulate the slowing cola market.

After 1,000 product concepts and 3,000 formulations, it discovered a lighter flavor and appearance, with modified food starch instead of caramel color, and 20 fewer calories.

PepsiCo made some mistakes, and Coca-Cola launched Tab Clear as a deliberate "kamikaze" copy to sabotage Crystal Pepsi, so it was off the market in 1994.

[10] On April 13, 1992,[11] Crystal Pepsi was launched in test markets of Dallas, Providence, Salt Lake City, and Colorado[12] to a positive response.

[13][14][7] One month in test markets showed an unusually and unexpectedly strong launch due to product uniqueness and unprecedented consumer awareness.

[15] In Colorado, interviews of 100,000 customers further revealed demand for Diet Crystal Pepsi, which was launched there in October.

[25] Full-sized sample bottles were distributed with the Sunday paper deliveries such as the Boston Globe in Massachusetts.

[13] According to Coca-Cola's chief marketing officer, Sergio Zyman, Tab Clear was released at the same time, as an intentional "kamikaze" effort to create an unpopular beverage that was positioned as an analogue of Crystal Pepsi to "kill both in the process".

The "born to die" strategy included using the poor-performing Tab brand rather than Coke, labeling the product as a "sugar free" diet drink to confuse consumers into thinking Crystal Pepsi had no sugar, and marketing the product as if it were "medicinal".

[27]In its first year, Crystal Pepsi captured 1% of U.S. soft drink sales, or approximately $474 million.

[23] In September 2014, following a Facebook campaign by consumers, The Coca-Cola Company reintroduced the soft drink Surge, leading to speculation in the public and media about the return of Crystal Pepsi.

The following month, a second, separate petition was led by an online competitive eating personality, Kevin Strahle, also known as The L.A.

This generated enough interest for a telephone and email campaign, garnering around 37,000 Change.org petition signatures,[29] tens of thousands of Twitter, YouTube, and Instagram tagged comments, 15 billboards erected around the Los Angeles area, and a commitment to ride a mobile billboard truck at Pepsi's headquarters in Purchase, New York with a gathering of supporters at a park nearby[30] on June 15 and 16, 2015.

[31][32][33][34][35][36][37] The interest from this campaign led to an official response to Strahle by PepsiCo on June 8, 2015: "We've had customers ask us to bring back their favorite products before, but never with your level of enthusiasm and humor.

"[38][39] In mid-2016, Crystal Pepsi was released for a limited time across the United States and Canada, promoted with a retro styled website and marketing video, including The Crystal Pepsi Trail browser game as an officially licensed parody of the classic The Oregon Trail.