by Robert Thistle

Created on: January 20, 2009

If my feeble memory is narrowly accurate in it's recollection of past events, then it would appear that history is repeating itself. As it often does for our benefit, yet we fail to take notice and repair the breach. For those of you who are under the age of majority, or beneath the age where smoking is not legally permitted, but drinking it seems, is, then you would have no remembrances of this historical and earth shaking event. For those of us not in the "Pepsi Generation" and yet are certainly much too young to be called "tea grannies" the late eighties...nineteen, not eighteen were sorrowful times. It was not the best of times, nor was it the worst of times. More along the lines of despicable. And yet it turned out to be the marketing coup of the century. I speak with some authority, as I was part owner in an IGA grocery store at the time of this history making occurrence. Now you are all curious as cats and only satisfaction will render that mind chilling experience with a calm assurance of what I am about to relate. The other soft drink bottler, better known as Coca Cola, came out with a product they labeled as, "New Coke." The "Old Coke" was no more. The taste was less than satisfactorial. It was rather disheartening, And rather than giving peace a chance and teaching the world to sing, it caused ceaseless havoc and disharmony amongst loyal and die-hard Coke drinkers. Then some months later, I honestly forget the length of time, as I was in a home recuperating from a severe illness, known back then as LackofCokeitis. In layman's terms, it simply refers to a lack of Classic Coke in ones system. It weakens the immune system and warps the mind. Where was I, oh yes....some months or time later the bottlers of Coca Cola, relinquished and brought back the original coke taste under the name, "Classic Coke." Sales skyrocketed....ah yes, a marketing ploy, or merely a lucky shot in the proverbial dark room. I prefer the marketing ploy viewpoint, as a lucky shot in a dark room might miss someone and hit my bottle of Coke. That would be very serious.

In conclusion, my opinion, for what it is worth....Seven-up will, like Coke, yield to consumer demand and another marketing coup will go down in the history books of soft drink pedaling. Unfortunately this decision will have long lasting ramifications on those of us who "think young" and drink coke. It will offer another "Pepsi" challenge. Which drink tastes better?

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