Pepsi Is Discontinuing Sierra Mist In Favor of All-New Sprite Competitor

The beverage maker is introducing an all-new lemon-lime soda in its place.

Argue all you want over the great Pepsi vs. Coke debate, but there's no dispute when it comes to Sierra Mist. The Sprite-wannabe is just that, a wannabe, which is precisely why the brand is discontinuing the flavor and trying again. 

PepsiCo is discontinuing Sierra Mist and rolling out a new lemon-lime soda. According to CNN Business, the 24-year-old brand failed to live up to its rival, pushing the company to drop it altogether. In its place, Pepsi is introducing regular and sugar-free versions of its new beverage, Starry. 

According to internal research, the company found "demand for lemon-lime flavored soda has never been greater," which has inspired the upgrade.

Courtesy of PepsiCo

"At a time when growth in traditional soda is sluggish and when the shelves are being flooded with new and innovative beverages being a tired second-tier player doesn't really cut it," Managing Director of Retail for GlobalData Neil Saunders told CNN. He pointed out that the brief rebrand to Mist Twist between 2016 and 2018 was "pointless" because it confused consumers." 

According to the outlet, PepsiCo is marketing its new Starry drink towards a younger audience—specifically, Gen-Z with its internet slang-inspired slogan: "Starry Hits Different." 

"The design of Starry is much more aligned with the Gen-Z aesthetic, which is bright, fun, whimsical, Instagramable, than many of Pepsi's other offerings," he added.

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Megan Schaltegger is a Staff Writer on the News team at Thrillist.