New Coke

On April 23, 1985, The Coca-Cola Company introduced New Coke.

Before World War II, Coca-Cola firmly held the majority of cola sales with a 60% market share.  By 1983, their share had dropped to 24% behind Pepsi.

Coca-Cola's CEO was looking to shake things up after losing a share of the market to Pepsi, thanks in part to the Pepsi Challenge.  They began the super secret "Project Kansas" to develop a new formula and try out the new taste with blind taste tests with over 190,000 consumers.

Coca-Cola's sales numbers rose when the new version was initially introduced. Then came the backlash. Protests and anti-"New Coke" groups popped up across the country. Panicked drinkers hoarded cases of the original.

Coca-Cola brought back the original Coke, renamed Coca-Cola Classic, in July 1985.

The Coca-Cola Company
Advertising Age