1985: Coca-Cola launches new Coke

On April 23, 1985 Coca-Cola launched a new soft drink to replace its original formula. The new Coke was supposed to help the company stave off a surge by Pepsi. But the new product turned out to be a major flop. In this report, former CBS News correspondent James McManus profiled the new beverage for the "CBS Evening News."

[ShyGuy]

I wonder how people would react if I crashed an 80s nostalgia party dressed as a New Coke can.

[BlackNGoldRules]

I can remember when they decided to bring old Coke back and called it Coke Classic. For a while, they had the new formula and old formula on the market at the same time giving people a choice between the two. Pretty much everyone went back to the old formula and New Coke didn't last much longer.

[picmman]

I still think it was all a huge marketing move that set out to show just how popular coke really was. And they made their point.🙂

[OCALM]

This was probably the most significant thing people who were around back then will remember about 1985. I was n my early 20's then so I remember it well. As a Coke drinker I honestly TRIED to like New Coke but it just was not very good. It wasn't awful, just not the kind of thing most people, including die-hard Coke fans, would choose if there were other choices. I drank anything else until they changed back. Even after they changed back I still had my doubts that it was the same as before New Coke. Probably because I didnt trust them after that....

[DTWX]

Referencing Eve with the apples only matches the irony that the 'New' product was nearly The Fall of Coke. 😄

[johnarden]

I was 15 I remember them coming out with new Coke and I also remember them bringing back the old formula and calling it Coca-Cola classic

[Jsmilam]

I remember my folks didn’t like it much at all and most of the people in the town wanted coca cola classic

[PKMNFan]

I'm here because of Stranger Things.

[Zoomer]

Then PepsiCo said "We can screw up better!" and came out with Crystal Pepsi.

[nlpnt]

Ever since New Coke and Crystal Pepsi every new soda has been launched as a "Limited Time Only" item so it can be withdrawn quietly if it's a dud.

[Johnlindsey]

I'm turning 39 and i hardly remember this as i was 3 in 85 but learned about this in 94 when i was 12 at the library looking at old time magazines in archive collections and newspaper archieves and learned how this was a dud

[exorcizamus]

It's delicious. It's like Carpenter's The Thing. The original is a classic, no question about it, but the remake... sweeter, bolder... better.

[stevencoffman]

classic coke is just new coke they never changed the formula. just the name was changed. they never brought back the original formula .coke knew they were going to lose profit by calling it new coke so the name was changed to classic coke and coke made people think they were drinking the old coke

[kascnef]

It's coming back just in time for stranger things

[manicstatic]

People would’ve loved it if it didn’t have corn syrup

[PJVids]

mmmm, Merchandise 7X. Now, there's a name that'll make ya thirsty.

[jiifigmentforever]

And here we are in 2019, celebrating its return on Stranger Things reviving the dead recipe.

[juanrivera]

Yeah the secret formula was changed when cocaine was removed

[justiceavenger]

People is idiot when they can't accept the delicious New Coke is better than Classic Coke.

[princenephron]

1:37 - WTF is "Pepisco"? LOL Nice typo. Should be "Pepsico"