Because we all need to forget our current era, Pepsi is taking fans back to the '90s this Super Bowl season, offering up limited edition Crystal Pepsi to those in the know -- and those who have some serious throwback photos to share with the world.
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In celebration of the 30th anniversary of their clear, Crystal Pepsi concoction launched in 1992, Pepsi is bringing the drink back for a quick sip of nostalgia by giving away free bottles through a special photo contest asking followers to post a picture of themselves from the '90s on Twitter, using the hashtags #ShowUsYour90s and #PepsiSweepstakes.
"We wanted to do something extra special to celebrate and reward the passionate fans who have been clamoring online for [Crystal Pepsi's] return" Pepsi's VP of Marketing Todd Kaplan said in a statement. "What better way to kick off 2022 than to throw it back to 1992 in order to get their hands on this highly limited-edition batch of Crystal Pepsi."
When the drink was first unveiled to consumers, the iconic sounds of Van Hagar were firmly attached. Van Halen, fronted by the "Red Rocker" Sammy Hagar, licensed the single "Right Now" from their third record together, 1991's For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge, to be featured in television advertising supporting the product.
Taking a look at the commercial so many years later feels like you're looking at the very last page of a video production intern's portfolio of throw-away projects. Iconic and heroic images are flashed across the screen, akin to the band's original music video with a deeper meaning, with product marketing statements such as, "Right now, nature's inventing better stuff than science," "Right now we don't want more artificial color," and "Right now only wildlife needs preservatives" plastered over them -- all while Van Halen plays in the background.
The ad first aired in 1992 and more broadly in 1993, in the downtime during Super Bowl XXVII, but as the story goes, Van Halen's song was almost not included in Pepsi's marketing. Apparently, the band was not all on board with their music being used, but Pepsi wanted the uplifting song so bad they told them they would have someone else re-record it.
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Guitarist Eddie Van Halen told Guitar World in 1996, “The only reason we gave Pepsi the music was because they were going to use the song anyway. They would have just recut it with studio musicians, like they do for some TV movies because they can’t use the original... If they use the original recording, they’ve got to pay, but if they don’t, all they do is give credit to the artist and then pay the studio cats." Eddie added, "Pepsi told us they were going to do that, so we said, ‘Hey wait a minute, we might as well get the money.’ I ain’t that proud, you know. I’m not going to say, ‘No, go ahead, rip us off. And keep the money, too!’”
"You've never seen a taste like this," Pepsi boasted at the time -- however, the beverage was not as popular as they had hoped, ending up being one of the biggest flops in soda history amid the "clear craze," when companies chose to offer more "pure" versions of their wares. Although, there was a cult following, and limited runs have popped up in years past.
Now, they're at it again. You can be one of 300 lucky followers to get some limited, 30th anniversary Crystal Pepsi by posting a photo of yourself from the '90s and using the proper hashtags.
Good luck... Just, maybe, don't let them hear any of your original music.
Check out some of Audacy's all-new exclusive Rock stations like 80s Guitar, Rock N’ Road, Freedom Rock, The Canyon, Arena Rock, Wake Up and Rock, and The Roots of Rock for those who crave the early days.
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