New Coke: Coca-Cola's 77-day product disaster
On April 23, 1985, Coca-Cola Company introduced a product it was sure would be a hit: new Coke. The soda was intended to stave off rival Pepsi, which had been gaining on Coke's market share. The new Coke flopped in such a titanic way that it stirred nationwide campaigns aimed at bringing the old Coke back. As Heba Kanso reports, the 77 days that followed the launch taught Coca-Cola a valuable lesson.