Pepsi Discontinues Sierra Mist & Introduces a New Lemon

Published on 1/12/2023 at 2:02 PM

Argue all you want over the great Pepsi vs. Coke debate, but there's no dispute when it comes to Sierra Mist. The Sprite-wannabe is just that, a wannabe, which is precisely why the brand is discontinuing the flavor and trying again.

PepsiCo is discontinuing Sierra Mist and rolling out a new lemon-lime soda. According to CNN Business, the 24-year-old brand failed to live up to its rival, pushing the company to drop it altogether. In its place, Pepsi is introducing regular and sugar-free versions of its new beverage, Starry.

According to internal research, the company found "demand for lemon-lime flavored soda has never been greater," which has inspired the upgrade.

"At a time when growth in traditional soda is sluggish and when the shelves are being flooded with new and innovative beverages being a tired second-tier player doesn't really cut it," Managing Director of Retail for GlobalData Neil Saunders told CNN. He pointed out that the brief rebrand to Mist Twist between 2016 and 2018 was "pointless" because it confused consumers."

According to the outlet, PepsiCo is marketing its new Starry drink towards a younger audience—specifically, Gen-Z with its internet slang-inspired slogan: "Starry Hits Different."

"The design of Starry is much more aligned with the Gen-Z aesthetic, which is bright, fun, whimsical, Instagramable, than many of Pepsi's other offerings," he added.

Want more Thrillist? Follow us on Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest, YouTube, TikTok, and Snapchat.