After 23 years, Sierra Mist was officially discontinued by Pepsi on January 9th.
Launched in 1999, rebranded to Mist Twist in 2016, changed back to Sierra Mist in 2018, it was never able compete with the dominance of Sprite, which has captured 7% share of the $82 billion U.S. soda market.
“With one product dominating the category, consumers deserve another option,” Greg Lyons, chief marketing officer at PepsiCo Beverages North America, said in a statement.
Pepsi has launched Starry and it will hit stores this week.
With the slogan, “Starry hits different,” the company said the new Starry “delivers the crisp, refreshing bite consumers have been longing for in the lemon lime flavored soda category.”
Starry is described as caffeine-free and comes with two options: regular and sugar-free.
“With one product dominating the category, consumers deserve another option … one that hits different. Starry is bright, optimistic, and rooted in culture and fun,” said Greg Lyons, chief marketing officer at PepsiCo Beverages North America.