…as it should!
No other taste attracts so much attention, quite like something “Mah-velous!”, and Diet Pepsi’s then-new look, certainly falls into that category.
And of course, we need somebody “Mah-velous!” to sing its praises, so we get…Billy Crystal!
Watch as he fusses over his “little twelve ounce dahling,” in this funny commercial from 1987!
Introduced in 1964 after successful test marketing the year before (under the name “Patio,” changed to Diet Pepsi upon its national launch), Diet Pepsi always enjoyed a regular rotation of celebrities promoting its products, as well as placements in feature films. By 1987, the product’s design had changed, and the always-delightful Billy Crystal was the celebrity of choice to praise the diet version’s new look, a la his Fernando character from Saturday Night Live.
The company’s then-current slogan “The Choice of a New Generation” (both with and in excess of one calorie) replaced the “Pepsi Generation” in 1984, running in advertising until 1988, and again from 1990 until 1991, with “A Generation Ahead” filling in that small gap of time in 1989. The company’s logo change (this version lasting from 1987 until 1991) was part of Pepsi’s ever-evolving attempt to stay current and appealing to the younger generation of soft drink consumers.
No other taste attracts so much attention, especially from such a Mah-velous!” endorser and his love of “The One Calorie Choice of a New Generation.”
Have a fantastic Flashback Friday, and a great weekend!