PepsiCo Wants To Pull Gen-Z Away From Sprite With Its New Lemon Lime Soda

PepsiCo is kicking off the year with a new beverage geared toward the TikTok generation.

The drink is called Starry, emerging as a top contender for the top lemon lime-flavored soda spot. PepsiCo has rolled out the red carpet for its new refresher, showcasing it for the first time during October’s National Association of Convenience Stores Show. Starry is set to go head-to-head with Sprite, which is currently the most popular lemon lime-flavored soda on the market.

“With one product dominating the category, consumers deserve another option,” stated Greg Lyons, chief marketing officer at PepsiCo Beverages North America.

Like Sprite, Starry is also caffeine-free. However, Danielle Barbaro, vice president of R&D at PepsiCo Beverages North America, says this new option offers a perfect blend of sweetness and tartness that is sure to make it the preferred drink among gen-z.

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In case you haven’t noticed, Sierra Mist, PepsiCo’s previous citrus drink, has quietly disappeared from store shelves due to poor sales. Despite the company taking several steps to salvage the quencher over the years, people simply weren’t interested. They even tried a new name, Mist Twist, in 2015. Sadly, the rollout was a flop, hence how Starry was born. PepsiCo refuses to give up the lemon-lime attempt, originally trying to overthrow Sprite in 1984 with its Slice drink. This was discontinued in 2000. Two years prior, Storm was tested but never moved forward.

Thirsty customers can begin trying Starry in their local convenience stores. Hopefully, Sierra Mist’s successor will land the success that PepsiCo is so desperately seeking.