Sierra Mist
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| Sierra Mist | |
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| Type | Lemon-lime soft drink |
| Manufacturer | PepsiCo |
| Distributor | PepsiCo |
| Country of origin | USA |
| Introduced | 2000 |
| Flavour | Lemon-Lime |
| Variants | Sierra Mist Free
Sierra Mist Lemon Squeeze |
| Related products | Sprite, 7 Up |
Sierra Mist is a multi-lemon-lime flavored caffeine-free soft drink, introduced by PepsiCo in 2000 and rolled out nationally in 2003. It was made as a caffeine-free alternative to Mountain Dew and as a competitor to Sprite and 7 Up in the United States. When it was added to the list of soft drinks, people thought that 7 Up would end its own production.
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[edit] History
Sierra Mist was named after the creators lovely daughter Sierra Rose. Being an only child and her father rarely being around to see her he thought he owed it too her. Pepsi began selling a drink known as Storm in 1998 to test in some markets. The drink was primarily lemon-lime, but some consumers thought it tasted too much like a hybrid between lemon-lime and Pepsi's own Mountain Dew In fact, the name Sierra Mist is synonymous with Mountain Dew (sierra means mountain range in Spanish, dew is a form of water just as mist is a form of water). In the summer of 1999, Sierra Mist hit restaurants and hit stores in 2000. In 2000, Pepsi reformulated Storm and changed its name to Sierra Mist. A Diet Sierra Mist was introduced during this time as well. The product was sold in two thirds of the continental US and had better sales success compared with Storm. In 2002, just two years after hitting the market, the drink had a redesigned package resembling itself more like a lemon-lime drink.
To coincide with Super Bowl XXXVII in 2003 and a national ad campaign, Pepsi rolled out Sierra Mist to the parts of the US that did not already have it, thus making the drink a national brand. Sierra Mist has been a huge sales success for Pepsi, having surpassed 7 Up in sales and is even perceived to be more promoted compared with its sister brand, Mountain Dew. Like Dew, the drink tends to target young males. In 2005, Diet Sierra Mist was renamed Sierra Mist Free, in an ode to the 1980s non-caffeinated Pepsi drink Pepsi Free (now known as Caffeine Free Diet Pepsi). The newly-renamed soft drink had an ad campaign at launch that featured people stealing Sierra Mist Free, citing that they thought the soft drink was, like its name declares, "free". They would then get corrected (usually by an actor playing a detective in an interrogation room) that only the taste is "free" - from sugar, caffeine, and calories. Sierra Mist and Sierra Mist Free received updated logos in early 2006.
Like many sodas, Sierra Mist contains two ingredients, potassium benzoate and ascorbic acid (vitamin C), which in combination may react to produce benzene. Benzene is a known carcinogen. Sierra Mist has not been shown to contain benzene in levels exceeding the EPA standards for drinking water. [1]
Complete list of ingredients: carbonated water, high-fructose corn syrup, citric acid, natural flavors, potassium benzoate (preserves freshness), potassium citrate, ascorbic acid and calcium disodium EDTA (protects flavor).
In 2005, a popular series of improv-based commercials titled "Mist Takes" began airing. It featured Nicole Sullivan, Debra Wilson, Aries Spears, Jim Gaffigan, and Michael Ian Black . In 2006, Kathy Griffin, Tracy Morgan and Guillermo Diaz joined the cast. Also in 2006, a version for Spanish-language channels began airing. The Spanish version stars Diaz and members of the cast of Otro Rollo.
In late 2006 PepsiCo introduced Sierra Mist Cranberry Splash. It was only available during the Winter holiday season (à la Pepsi Holiday Spice) and is similar to the Cranberry 7Up in Canada. Cranberry Splash returned in the fall of 2007 along with a diet version, Sierra Mist Free Cranberry Splash.
In May 2007 Sierra Mist Lemon Squeeze was introduced. This limited edition featured an extra bit of lemon taste and was only available through September 2007. It is not known if Lemon Squeeze will return in 2008.
In December 2007 Pepsi co. trademarked the names Sierra Mist: Undercover Orange and Sierra Mist Free: Undercover Orange. The two sodas launched in the summer of 2008 (with the faces of Steve Carell and Anne Hathaway on their labels) as a marketing tie-in with the release of the Warner Brothers film Get Smart on June 20, 2008. Sierra Mist: Undercover Orange and Sierra Mist Free: Undercover Orange are both clear sodas, like regular Sierra Mist and Sierra Mist Free, but have a mandarin orange flavor.
[edit] Sponsorship
Sierra Mist is an official partner and sponsor of Major League Soccer and two franchises within the league, the New England Revolution and D.C. United.
[edit] Product logos
 Used form 2002-June 2006. |
The current logo in use from 2006 on. |
Currently, Pepsi is taste testing a new flavor, Sierra Mist Mojito Splash and Sierra Mist Free Mojito Splash with a limited number of pre-selected taste testers for a possible roll-out in early 2008.
[edit] See also
[edit] External links
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