I’m not a big fan of the word “throwback.” This is most likely because it sounds too much like “blowback” which denotes negative unintended consequences of military and covert intelligence operations. While that’s offensive to my libertarian soul, I’m also offended every time my favorite football team puts on their God-awful old “throwback” uniforms from fifty or sixty years ago. I mean, let the old uniforms die already…
I’ve had the opportunity over the last couple of days to sample another throwback — Mountain Dew Throwback. It’s part of a new set of product offerings from Pepsi that is sweetened with sugar instead of the much-maligned high fructose corn syrup (HFCS). And the new advertising campaign just happens to have an accompanying psychadelic commercial (like this one for Pepsi Throwback):
I’m not sure what the primary driver for such an offering is. High fructose corn syrup has been criticized for everything from being contaminated with mercury to spearheading the march toward a global obesity epidemic. That, and I’m sure Pepsi is looking to go for a younger, hipper demographic that is drawn to all-natural teas and sodas made from real cane sugar (such as the popular Jones Soda line).
As far as the experience of Mountain Dew Throwback goes, I’m still skeptical. Recently, I switched from years of being a Coke fanboy to Pepsi Max loyalty due to my desire to have a soft drink with some kick (thanks to Max’s ginseng content) and the desire to avoid highly-caloric sweeteners such as sugar and high fructose corn syrup. Ultimately, I wanted two just try a two-liter, but the only option at the Garner, North Carolina Target was a twelve pack of cans. The Pepsi Throwback packaging looked like something that was throwback, but it immediately occurred to me that there was only a slight difference in the sugar and HFCS Mountain Dew version’s packaging, which I suspect will result in some confusion from consumers. Taste was different, almost like caffeine-free Mountain Dew. I’m not sure this difference would be discernable to a frequent Mountain Dew drinker, but I did notice a slight difference. Again, with packaging similarities, some loyal Mountain Dewist in a rush might be in for a treat. Well, not really a treat, but a surprise none-the-less.
Will it be a hit? Maybe. I don’t know if “Throwback” is the right name, nor do I know that sugar vs. high fructose corn syrup makes a difference to enough people to make it profitable for Pepsi to continue beyond their “limited time only” promises. But if you’re into the latest, greatest gimmick by the soft drink industry big-wigs, try it out for youself and weigh-in here. There should be some sales at your local big-box retailers and grocery chains, for at least a week. I’d love to hear what everyone else is thinking about Pepsi Throwback and Mountain Dew Throwback.
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