Pepsi Raw
 | |
 A 12 fl oz bottle of Pepsi Natural | |
| Type | Cola soft drink |
|---|---|
| Manufacturer | PepsiCo |
| Origin | United Kingdom |
| Introduced | 2008 |
| Discontinued | 2011 |
Pepsi Raw, also marketed as Pepsi Natural in North America, was a cola soft drink created by PepsiCo and Britvic as a "Sparkling Cola Drink with Natural Plant Extracts". The drink first launched in February 2008 in Britain, targeting upmarket pubs.[1] It was then also launched in Norway in August 2010,[2] in Australia in 2011, and under the name "Pepsi Natural" in the United States and Mexico in March 2009.[3][4]
An unrelated product named Pepsi Nama (Nama meaning "Raw" in Japanese) was launched in 2021 by Suntory, the Japanese distributor of Pepsi, where the cola spices are not heated and therefore natural;[5] later in 2023, PepsiCo China released a Zero Sugar version of it with the English name as "Pepsi Raw".[6]
Marketing
[edit]
Pepsi Raw contained naturally sourced ingredients that were free from artificial flavouring, colourings, preservatives and sweeteners.[7] Advertising for Pepsi Raw presented the product as a natural alternative to other colas.
To help promote Pepsi Raw, an experiential marketing campaign dubbed "Natural Born Cola" was launched. Promotional workers traveled to grocery retail, shopping malls, train stations, offices and via roaming hit squads in key cities nationwide. During the 6 week campaign 1,295,500 bottles of Pepsi Raw were distributed with 82% of consumers saying they liked the taste and a further 75% claiming they would go on to buy it.[8]
Ingredients
[edit]
- Sparkling water.
- Cane sugar.
- Apple extract.
- Colour: plain caramel.
- Natural plant extracts (including natural caffeine and kola nut extract).
- citric, tartaric and lactic acids.
- Stabilizer: gum arabic.
- Thickener: xanthan gum.
Discontinuation
[edit]In September 2010, it was announced that Pepsi Raw was to be withdrawn from the British market.[9] It was also discontinued in the Norwegian market in May 2011, having sold poorly.[10]
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ Dinkovski, Noli (2008-02-11). "Pepsi launches Raw". MorningAdvertiser.co.uk. Retrieved 2025-09-10.
- ^ HegnarOnline. "Pepsi Raw har floppet". Hegnar Online. Archived from the original on 2014-04-28. Retrieved 2025-09-10.
- ^ "Beverage R&D: Health weighs in against costs | Beverage Industry". www.bevindustry.com. Retrieved 2025-09-10.
- ^ ""Review: Pepsi Natural"".
- ^ ""Raw Pepsi," the most refreshing flavor ever, is out in Japan, but how does it taste?". SoraNews24. 23 June 2021. Retrieved 14 September 2023.
- ^ Morais, Damián. "Monthly Digest: China Food Sector Review, Apr. 2023". eDairyNews. Retrieved 14 September 2023.
- ^ "Pepsi launch new drink made from 'all natural' ingredients - Times Online". www.timesonline.co.uk. Archived from the original on 2008-10-07. Retrieved 2025-09-10.
- ^ "Pepsi Raw Experiential Marketing Results". iD Experiential. Archived from the original on 2010-08-05. Retrieved 2010-10-12.
- ^ "Pepsi Raw removed from UK market". Marketing Week.
- ^ "Kort karriere for Pepsi Raw". DinSide (in Norwegian Bokmål). Archived from the original on 2014-04-28. Retrieved 2025-09-10.
External links
[edit]
- Official website (archived)
- Britvic - Our Brands - Pepsi RAW at the Wayback Machine (archive index)
- Product information at Pepsi USA (archive)