Diet Pepsi
PepsiCo's sugar-free cola brand, introduced nationally in the United States in 1964 after testing as Patio Diet Cola.
Last updated October 14, 2026
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Overview
Diet Pepsi is a sugar-free carbonated cola produced and marketed by PepsiCo. It was test-marketed in the United States in 1963 under the name Patio Diet Cola and was launched nationally as Diet Pepsi on December 28, 1964. The product was developed as a lower-calorie alternative to the company's flagship Pepsi-Cola and became the first diet cola distributed nationally in the United States. Its introduction reflected changing consumer interest in calorie reduction and diet-oriented food and beverages during the 1960s. The brand's formulation has used artificial sweeteners rather than sugar. Aspartame has been the principal sweetener associated with the standard product for much of its history, although PepsiCo has introduced formulation changes and market-specific variants over time. In 2015, PepsiCo promoted an aspartame-free version in the United States, using sucralose and acesulfame potassium. Following consumer and market feedback, the company announced the return of an aspartame-sweetened formula in 2018 while continuing to offer an aspartame-free option in some channels. Formulations, package sizes, ingredient declarations, and availability can vary by country and product version. Diet Pepsi expanded beyond the United States during the following decades. It entered the British market in 1983 and has been sold under names including Pepsi Diet and Pepsi Light in certain international markets. The brand is distributed through cans, plastic bottles, fountain systems, and other beverage-service formats, with availability depending on local bottling and retail arrangements. It sits within PepsiCo's broader beverage portfolio alongside Pepsi, Pepsi Zero Sugar, Mountain Dew, Gatorade, and other brands, and competes most directly with Coca-Cola's Diet Coke and other zero- or low-calorie cola products. Marketing has been central to Diet Pepsi's identity. Campaigns have emphasized refreshment, taste, lightness, contemporary culture, and celebrity participation. The brand has used television, print, outdoor, digital, mobile, social-media, and major-event advertising. Notable campaigns included the long-running "You Got the Right One, Uh-Huh" association with Ray Charles, the "Light. Crisp. Refreshing." positioning used in mid-2000s advertising, mobile and Facebook-linked "Refreshing Rewards" activity, and the 2011–2012 "Nothing Refreshes Like a Diet Pepsi" campaign featuring David Beckham and Sofia Vergara. Diet Pepsi remains an active international product brand rather than a standalone company. Its corporate parent, PepsiCo, is headquartered in Purchase, New York, and is publicly traded under PEP. PepsiCo's scale gives Diet Pepsi access to global manufacturing, bottling, distribution, and marketing systems, although local operators and market conditions influence where the drink is sold. The brand's continued relevance depends on maintaining its recognizable cola taste while responding to interest in sugar reduction, sweetener choice, packaging, convenience, and changing consumer preferences.
History
Diet Pepsi originated as Patio Diet Cola, a product PepsiCo test-marketed in the United States in 1963. PepsiCo renamed and nationally launched it as Diet Pepsi on December 28, 1964. The product arrived during a period when American consumers and manufacturers were paying increasing attention to calorie reduction and diet products. Its national distribution made it an early large-scale diet cola and established a low-calorie counterpart to Pepsi-Cola. The brand gained distribution during the 1960s and reportedly sold 55 million cases nationally in 1966. Its early growth helped demonstrate that diet soft drinks could be marketed as mainstream beverages rather than niche dietary products. Diet Pepsi later expanded into international markets, entering the United Kingdom in 1983. In some countries it has been known as Pepsi Diet or Pepsi Light, reflecting local naming practices and portfolio arrangements. Sweetener formulation has been an important part of Diet Pepsi's history. The standard product became strongly associated with aspartame, while the company periodically adjusted formulas and introduced alternatives. In the United States, PepsiCo promoted an aspartame-free version in the mid-2010s, using other high-intensity sweeteners. In 2018, the company said it would bring back an aspartame-sweetened version in response to consumer demand, while maintaining an aspartame-free product. These changes illustrate the tension between ingredient preferences, established taste expectations, and the need to retain consumers in a competitive soft-drink market. Advertising has repeatedly refreshed the brand's cultural identity. In the late 1980s and early 1990s, Diet Pepsi was associated with the slogan "You Got the Right One, Uh-Huh" and campaigns featuring Ray Charles. PepsiCo also used freshness and taste messaging in the 1980s and 1990s, including advertising around product freshness dating. In 2006, Diet Pepsi appeared in Super Bowl XL spots featuring Jackie Chan and other celebrity-driven creative elements, using the line "Light. Crisp. Refreshing." During the early 2010s, PepsiCo expanded the brand's entertainment and digital marketing. A mobile campaign connected consumers with Facebook-based Refreshing Rewards activity. The "Nothing Refreshes Like a Diet Pepsi" platform used celebrity storytelling, including advertisements with David Beckham and Sofia Vergara. The 2012 Sofia Vergara commercial premiered during the Golden Globes and was supported by television, print, digital, and out-of-home placements. Diet Pepsi operates today as a PepsiCo product brand. It is sold in multiple package formats and markets, but exact availability and formula differ by country. The brand competes with Diet Coke, Pepsi Zero Sugar, and other reduced-calorie or sugar-free colas. Its long-term position rests on the combination of Pepsi brand recognition, a zero-sugar proposition, broad distribution, and ongoing adaptation to debates about sweeteners and changing beverage preferences.
- 2018
Return of an aspartame-sweetened formula
[4]PepsiCo announced the return of an aspartame-sweetened Diet Pepsi formula while continuing an aspartame-free option.
- 2012
Sofia Vergara campaign
[2]The brand launched a new "Nothing Refreshes Like a Diet Pepsi" campaign featuring Sofia Vergara.
- 2006
Super Bowl XL advertising
[5]Diet Pepsi ran the Super Bowl XL advertisements "Stunt Can" and "Hip Hop Can."
- 2001
PepsiCo completes the Quaker merger
[6]PepsiCo completed its merger with The Quaker Oats Company, reinforcing the broader corporate beverage and food portfolio in which Diet Pepsi operates.
- 1983
United Kingdom introduction
[1]Diet Pepsi entered the British market, where it has also been known as Pepsi Diet.
- 1966
Early national sales milestone
[1]Diet Pepsi reportedly sold 55 million cases in the United States.
- 1964
National launch of Diet Pepsi
[1]The product was renamed Diet Pepsi and launched nationally in the United States on December 28.
- 1963
Test marketing as Patio Diet Cola
[1]PepsiCo test-marketed a diet cola in the United States under the Patio name.
Products and positioning
A mainstream, sugar-free Pepsi cola positioned around a crisp, refreshing taste and as a lower-calorie alternative to regular Pepsi.
Sugar-free cola · 1964
Diet Pepsi
The core Diet Pepsi product is a carbonated cola sold as a no-sugar, low-calorie alternative to regular Pepsi. It is available in cans, bottles, and fountain formats, with package sizes and formulas varying by market. Aspartame has historically been its principal sweetener, although PepsiCo has also offered aspartame-free versions using other sweeteners.
Sugar-free cola variant
Aspartame-free Diet Pepsi
This formulation was promoted as an alternative for consumers seeking Diet Pepsi without aspartame. Advertising presented the product through the message "Crisp. Refreshing. Aspartame Free." Availability and ongoing formulation status may differ by market and channel.
Marketing campaigns
- 2012Nothing Refreshes Like a Diet Pepsi
United States
The campaign featured Sofia Vergara in a nightclub-themed television commercial that premiered during the Golden Globes. The broader media program included television, print, digital, and outdoor advertising.
Outcome. It continued Diet Pepsi's celebrity-led refreshment positioning and extended an earlier campaign storyline featuring David Beckham.
- 2011Refreshing Rewards
United States
Diet Pepsi used mobile web advertising to direct consumers to a Facebook-connected Refreshing Rewards experience, combining social engagement with repeat promotional visits.
Outcome. The campaign sought to increase social interaction and recurring mobile engagement.
- 2006Super Bowl XL Diet Pepsi spots
United States
Diet Pepsi aired celebrity-oriented commercials including "Stunt Can" during Super Bowl XL, using action-comedy premises and the "Light. Crisp. Refreshing." positioning.
Outcome. The spots extended Pepsi's long-running Super Bowl advertising presence.
- 1990You Got the Right One, Uh-Huh
United States
Diet Pepsi advertising featuring Ray Charles used the slogan "You Got the Right One, Uh-Huh" to associate the brand with contemporary music and confident product choice.
Outcome. The campaign became a notable part of the brand's early-1990s advertising identity.
Brand decisions
2018
Return of aspartame to a Diet Pepsi formulaGeneration changeBackground
PepsiCo responded to consumer feedback following the earlier removal of aspartame from a principal Diet Pepsi formulation.
Action taken
The company announced that an aspartame-sweetened version would return, alongside an aspartame-free alternative.
Aftermath
The decision illustrated the challenge of balancing ingredient preferences with established taste expectations and brand loyalty.
2015
Introduction of an aspartame-free formulationGeneration changeBackground
PepsiCo experimented with changing Diet Pepsi's sweetener profile amid consumer discussion of aspartame and demand for alternative formulations.
Action taken
The company promoted an aspartame-free Diet Pepsi using other high-intensity sweeteners.
Aftermath
The formulation change was later followed by the announced return of an aspartame-sweetened version, while an aspartame-free option continued in some form.
Recent events
- 2018
PepsiCo returned aspartame to the United States Diet Pepsi formula[9]
Product generation
PepsiCo stated that aspartame would return to the regular United States Diet Pepsi formula after the earlier reformulation, while a sucralose-based version remained available in a separate product.
- 2015
Diet Pepsi reformulated with sucralose in the United States[10]
Product generation · Other
PepsiCo announced a change to the United States Diet Pepsi formula, replacing aspartame with sucralose and acesulfame potassium. The decision generated consumer discussion because taste and formulation changes are particularly sensitive in established soft-drink brands.
- 2012
Diet Pepsi launches the "Nothing Refreshes Like a Diet Pepsi" campaign with Sofia Vergara[2]
Campaign · Other
PepsiCo introduced a television-led campaign featuring Sofia Vergara, following an earlier Diet Pepsi advertisement with David Beckham. The campaign premiered during the Golden Globes and was extended across print, digital, and outdoor media.
- 2006
Diet Pepsi appears in Super Bowl XL advertising[5]
Campaign
Diet Pepsi ran celebrity-centered advertisements titled "Stunt Can" and "Hip Hop Can" during Super Bowl XL, continuing Pepsi's prominent presence in Super Bowl advertising.
- 1964
Diet Pepsi introduced in the United States[1]
Product launch
The product that became Diet Pepsi entered the market as Patio Diet Cola before adopting the Pepsi name.
Diet Pepsi uses mobile advertising to promote Refreshing Rewards[3]
Campaign
A mobile-web campaign directed users to a Pepsi site where they could connect a Facebook account with the Diet Pepsi Refreshing Rewards application, combining repeat engagement, social activity, and promotional incentives.
PepsiCo promotes an aspartame-free Diet Pepsi[8]
Product generation · Product launch
PepsiCo marketed an aspartame-free version of Diet Pepsi, reflecting the brand's formulation experimentation and consumer interest in alternative sweeteners.
Sources11 sources
- 1Diet Pepsien.wikipedia.org
- 2Diet Pepsi Debuts New Ad Campaign Featuring Sofia Vergarapepsico.com
- 3Diet Pepsi boosts social media presence via mobile adsmarketingdive.com
- 4Diet Pepsi's 'refreshing' advertisingbevindustry.com
- 5Diet Pepsi: Stunt Canadage.com
- 6PepsiCo and Quaker complete their mergersec.gov
- 7You Got the Right One, Uh-Huhpepsibrattleboro.com
- 8Introduction of an aspartame-free formulationispot.tv
- 9百事公司让阿斯巴甜重回美国百事轻怡配方pepsico.com
- 10百事轻怡在美国改用三氯蔗糖配方pepsico.com
- 11Pepsi Launches New 'That's What I Like' Campaignbevnet.com
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