The first known Pepsi-Cola newspaper advertisement appeared in 1902. The ad proclaimed the health benefits of Pepsi-Cola. That same year, the Pepsi-Cola script was used in a newspaper ad for the first time. Caleb Bradham, the creator of Pepsi, was advertising Pepsi through newspapers since he had renamed it Pepsi-Cola.
In 1908, famous racecar driver, Barney Oldfield became the first celebrity endorser for Pepsi-Cola.
The company was one of the first in the United States to switch from horse-drawn transport to motor vehicles, and a 1913 editorial in the Greensboro Patriot praised Caleb Bradham for his “keen and energetic business sense.”
In 1934, the company moved to a new headquarters in Long Island City, New York, and four years later Walter S. Mack was selected to be the new president of Pepsi-Cola. Mack believed that advertising could be a cornerstone of soft drink marketing and introduced a comic strip, “Pepsi & Pete,” to promote Pepsi’s pricing advantage with the line “Twice as Much for a Nickel.”
During the 1950s, Pepsi evolved from thelow cost price leader to a more lifestyle drink approach. For example, as Americans became more health conscious, Pepsi introduced slogans such as “The Light Refreshment” and “Refreshing Without Filling.” Other new advertising campaigns included slogans such as “Be Sociable, Have a Pepsi” and “Now Its Pepsi, For Those Who Think Young” to concentrate on a younger market.
Early history of Pepsi-Cola advertising
