Pepsi has left its fans divided with the launch of its new Christmas-inspired flavor.
The cola company launched Pepsi Zero Sugar Gingerbread in the US, which is said to combine its signature flavor with festive flavors such as cinnamon, ginger, brown sugar and molasses.
The fizzy drink comes packaged in a new brown can, with an adorable gingerbread character on the can.
Less than a week after its launch, the new flavor has already divided opinion on social media, with some people declaring there’s “no chance” Pepsi’s Christmas offering will taste good.
Typing in X, one person said: “I’ll pass.”
Another added: “That’s going to be gloriously disgusting.” I must try.’
A third comment read: ‘Wow. Just no. “That’s horrible.”
A fourth X user admitted, “I choked up thinking about this” while reacting to the flavor launch.
On December 4, the consumer goods giant launched Pepsi Zero Sugar Gingerbread that combines its signature flavor with festive flavors like cinnamon, ginger, brown sugar and molasses.
Others said they were excited to try the new Pepsi Zero Sugar variant, with one Instagram user writing: “Let me buy it…”
Another person added: ‘I want to try that, where is it?’
Those who want to get their hands on Pepsi’s latest release will have to enter a giveaway contest on the official website after it was revealed that the drink was sold out on the brand’s TikTok store.
Initially, Pepsi announced that shoppers who purchase two 10-packs of Pepsi Mini from its online store will receive a free can of the holiday drink.
Within hours, the TikTok store sold out of the gingerbread drink, leaving people to try their luck in the giveaway on Pepsi’s website that runs until December 11.
It is currently unclear if the product is available to purchase worldwide or exclusively for US customers.
Less than a week after its launch, the new flavor has already divided opinion on social media, with some people declaring there’s “no chance” Pepsi’s Christmas offering will taste good.
Social media users were not impressed with the number of hoops they had to jump through to buy a can of the new Pepsi, with several people criticizing the launch strategy.
One Twitter/X user wrote: ‘If it’s not in stores, it doesn’t matter. Just more garbage that Pepsi throws at ‘influencers’ for free advertising without having to take the risk of producing it and sending it to stores.
Another added: “No one tries that hard to get a can of soda of a flavor no one has tried before.”
Someone else said: ‘So much for getting a can.’ I’m not interested in playing with them.
A fourth said: ‘Seriously, they need to sell in stores (instead of) adding loopholes for the public. “It’s very frustrating.”
Some X users were also infuriated by the number of mini cans they had to buy to receive just one can of the new flavor.
One person wrote: ‘Two boxes for ONE can is crazy. I don’t like Pepsi enough to have 20 cans lying around.’
Another added: ‘Why can’t I buy it? It looks SO good! It would also be great with some spiced rum.
Someone else said: ‘Do I have to buy ten packs to qualify to buy 1 CAN? Crazy.’
Social media users were not impressed with the number of hoops they had to jump through to buy a can of the new Pepsi, with several people criticizing the launch strategy.
The latest drop follows the launch of Coca-Cola’s new Oreo-flavoured Zero Sugar drink in the UK earlier this year.
The limited-edition drink was officially launched in September and combined the refreshing taste of Coca-Cola with hints of vanilla Oreo cookies.
Inspired by the sandwich cookie, the drink was packaged in a black and white package and sealed with a red seal to credit Coca-Cola.
In addition to launching a new flavor, the brand also partnered with Spotify to create a new, immersive digital element called “bestie mode.”
By scanning the QR code on the packages, people followed the steps to enjoy the new mode, which allowed customers to sync their music preferences with their friends.
Once logged into a Spotify account, fans answered questions to see how their music tastes compared to their friends.
Coca-Cola previously collaborated with Oreos to create a new limited edition drink: Coca-Cola Oreo Zero Sugar (pictured)
Inspired by the sandwich cookie, the drink was packaged in black and white packaging and sealed with a red seal to credit Coca-Cola.
The app then generated a playlist with combined music preferences for both friends to enjoy together.
Oana Vlad, Global Vice President – Brand Strategy at The Coca-Cola Company. said: “Bringing together the joy of Oreo and the true magic of Coca-Cola is very unexpected, but it also feels very good because we are similar in many ways.”
“As a first-of-its-kind collaboration for both brands, we’re thrilled to have our best friends from around the world join us to celebrate new products, great experiences and unexpected moments of connection.”
Meanwhile, Eugenia Zalis, Global Head of OREO Marketing and Brand, Mondelez International, added: “At OREO, we strive to identify new ways to excite consumers and with this collaboration, we have really upped the ante.”
‘The bond of friendship forged between OREO and Coca-Cola is a fun way to unite our fan bases and celebrate the power of connection and togetherness.
“We can’t wait to see the reaction to the campaign and hope fans are excited to experience the latest twists on two classics.”