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The Return of a Forgotten Name
After almost 25 years, Coca-Cola announced in late October that it’s bringing back Mr. Pibb, its spicy cherry soda that first launched in 1972. In 2001, Coca-Cola renamed and rebranded the drink to Pibb Xtra, and it’s remained largely untouched since then. Let’s be real, this comeback wasn’t exactly something most consumers saw coming. The company is reformulating the beverage, adding extra caffeine, and giving the entire brand a makeover.
Here’s the thing though: this isn’t just about nostalgia. The revived Mr. Pibb features 30% more caffeine and a bold, spicy cherry taste with hints of caramel, available in select regions. Mr. Pibb will fully replace Pibb Xtra across the U.S. by 2026, according to A.P. Chaney, Coca-Cola’s head of creative for sparkling flavors.
Distribution Strategy and Availability
Mr. Pibb and Mr. Pibb Zero Sugar are now available in select markets, according to Coca-Cola. A national rollout of the rebrand will start in early 2026. Honestly, it sounds like Coca-Cola is testing the waters before going all in. Smart move, considering how easy it is for product relaunches to flop.
Mr. Pibb and Mr. Pibb Zero will be available in 12-ounce 12 packs and 20-ounce bottles, the company said. Mr. Pibb will also be available in 2-liter bottles. The Zero Sugar option makes sense when you think about how health-conscious people have become. It’s not the 1970s anymore, where sugar content barely crossed anyone’s mind.
The Caffeine Boost That Changes Everything
The new Mr. Pibb recipe has 30% more caffeine than the previous version. That’s a serious upgrade. The added caffeine is meant to position the Mr. Pibb brand for consumers with a “bold, rebellious attitude,” Callis said.
The added caffeine makes it more competitive with energy drink culture while still being a soda at its core. The beverage isn’t trying to be something it’s not. Callis said Mr. Pibb’s added caffeine level helps it stand out in the crowd, particularly in the spicy cherry soda segment, which has more limited caffeine levels.
A Rebrand Built on Design and Identity
Its new branding is a combination of burgundy, red, and black, complete with an eye-catching gold exclamation point and a few subtle callbacks to Mr. Pibb’s ’90s look. A high-voltage visual identity preserves the challenger brand’s maverick, wildcard persona and signature maroon color, with new eye-catching touches of gold and an exclamation point hinting at both its bold taste and extra caffeine content. The exclamation point is a nice touch, drawing attention without screaming desperation.
When Mr. Pibb first launched, the packaging didn’t tell consumers what it was – it told them what it was not. Not root beer, not cola. It’s something unique and original, a bold rebel in a category of norms. Nothing fans know and love about Mr. Pibb has gone away, but we took steps to modernize its look for new consumers’ tastes and preferences.
Why Now? The Dr Pepper Factor
It’s hard to say for sure, but timing is everything in business. The brand relaunch was in response to the loss of distribution rights to Dr Pepper by Reyes Coca-Cola, the bottler and distributor of Coca-Cola Company products in much of the Midwestern and Western United States. Earlier this year, Dr Pepper’s parent corporation won a giant lawsuit over the right to distribute Dr Pepper on their own rather than through one of Coca-Cola’s affiliated distributors. The rights to distribute the second-most-popular soda officially return to Dr Pepper’s parent corporation at the end of the month – and Coke knows they’re losing a golden goose of revenue.
The relaunch comes as Dr Pepper has risen in popularity, surpassing Pepsi, according to media reports last year. In the non-alcoholic beverage segment, Dr Pepper ranked second behind only classic Coca-Cola for the volume of cases sold in 2024, according to data from trade publication Beverage Digest. This isn’t a coincidence. Coca-Cola lost a major distribution deal and responded by reviving a competitive brand that had been gathering dust for nearly a quarter-century.
Marketing Strategy and Target Demographics
Coca-Cola said one of its core consumer targets for Mr. Pibb will be “multicultural Xennials,” referring to a micro-generation between Gen X and Millennials, born in the late 1970s and early 1980s. Comedian/actor Roy Wood Jr. voices the films, which connect the brand with gaming, tailgating and other passion points. “We’re excited to partner with such a phenomenal talent who embodies both our core consumer target – multicultural Xennials – and the brand’s bold, humorous, lighthearted energy,” said Chaney.
The brand plans to lean into experiential marketing events at college campuses and music festivals. Experiential grassroots events – from college campus hubs to hip-hop star Tyler, The Creator’s Camp Flog Gnaw Carnival in Los Angeles – will focus on getting as many Mr. Pibb cans in hands as possible. This strategy feels grounded in reality rather than over-the-top hype.
The Growing Spicy Cherry Soda Category
Mr. Pibb’s big return is Coca-Cola’s bid to cash in on the spicy cherry beverage category, Chaney said. The cherry cola segment in general has grown in volume over the last five years, according to Coke Solutions. That’s real growth in an industry where many legacy brands are actually declining.
Consumers have been asking for Mr. Pibb’s bold kick of cherry flavor for some time, said Dane Callis, Director, Sparkling Flavors, Coca‑Cola North America. If you go on Reddit, X and other social media , you’ll find conversations about the mystique of Mr. Pibb. Mr. Pibb has a feisty loyal following, so he’s coming back in a bold, fresh way. The social media chatter was real enough to catch corporate attention.
The Comeback That Respects History
This is a brand people know and love, but there is also an entirely new generation that doesn’t know Mr. Pibb exists. The challenge for us, creatively, was to lean into the lore and popularity of the brand while driving awareness and discovery. It felt like the perfect time to introduce a new generation to the soda millenials and Gen Xers remember from yesteryear.
The relaunch shows how Coca-Cola is carefully balancing nostalgia with modern demands. Mr. Pibb’s new formulation is a “bolder version of what Pibb Xtra was,” according to Chaney. The drink – which will come in both regular and zero sugar iterations – is an intense cherry flavor layered with notes of caramel. Whether that boldness translates into genuine market share gain remains to be seen, particularly when Dr Pepper continues to grow. What’s certain is that the soda wars are far from over, and Mr. Pibb just rejoined the battlefield after a long absence.