Overview
- Coca‑Cola replaced its original 1886 formula on April 23, 1985 after Pepsi’s blind taste ads and internal tests favored a sweeter profile.
- Sip tests measured quick sips, not a full can, so extra sweetness scored well in the lab but wore thin in real drinking, as Malcolm Gladwell later explained.
- Consumer backlash was intense, with protests, letters, phone calls, and petition drives that framed the original drink as part of people’s identity.
- About two months after launch the company revived the old formula as Coca‑Cola Classic and then phased out New Coke.
- Coverage notes the move cost roughly $100 million yet the brand regained its lead, with reports citing current U.S. shares near 44% for Coca‑Cola versus 26% for Pepsi.