Pepsi Introduces 'Starry' To Battle 'Sprite'

Pepsi is reaching for the stars in its latest effort to take on Sprite. Starry, a new lemon-lime soda, is rolling out to grocery and convenience stores this week.

Photo Insert: Starry is hitting store shelves this week. Sierra Mist launched in 1999 to much fanfare but it never made much of a dent in Sprite’s dominance.

It’s replacing Sierra Mist, a 24-year-old brand that has failed to gain traction against market leader Sprite, which is owned by main rival Coca-Cola, Jordan Valinsky reported for CNN Business.

Pepsi’s internal research showed that “demand for lemon lime flavored soda has never been greater,” the company said in a statement. That prompted Pepsi to develop a new lemon-lime soda that gives “people a choice in an area that’s been dominated by one brand for years.”

Starry is caffeine-free and is rolling out with two options: Regular and sugar free. A Pepsi spokesperson told CNN that Starry has a “higher citrus flavors that are true to fruit and more aromatic” compared to Sierra Mist.

Starry is hitting store shelves this week. Sierra Mist launched in 1999 to much fanfare but it never made much of a dent in Sprite’s dominance. Neil Saunders, managing director of retail for GlobalData told CNN that it’s a “confused brand” that looks like an “imitation of Sprite.”

“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,” Saunders said. He pointed out that a brief rebrand to Mist Twist between 2016 to 2018 was “pointless” because it confused consumers.

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