Slice (soft drink)
 | |
| Type | Flavored soft drink |
|---|---|
| Manufacturer | PepsiCo |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Introduced | 1984 |
| Related products | Sprite, Crush, Fanta, Teem, 7 Up, Bubble Up |
Slice is a line of fruit-flavored soft drinks manufactured by PepsiCo and introduced in 1984.
Flavors
Varieties of Slice have included lemon-lime (replaced Teem in the United States; discontinued in 2000 with introduction of Sierra Mist), apple, fruit punch, grape, passionfruit, peach, Mandarin orange, pineapple, strawberry, Pink Lemonade, Cherry Cola (discontinued in 1988 following the introduction of Wild Cherry Pepsi), "Red", Cherry-Lime, and Dr Slice. Until 1994, the drink contained 10% fruit juice.
History
Slice was a big success upon release, inspiring other juice-infused drinks based on already existing juice brands, such as Coca-Cola's Minute Maid orange soda and Cadbury Schweppes's Sunkist. By May 1987, Slice held 3.2 percent of the soft drink market. One year later, it had fallen to 2.1 percent and was below 2 percent in June 1988.[1]
The original design of the can was a solid color related to the flavor of the drink. These were replaced in 1994 with black cans that featured colorful bursts (once again, related to the flavor of the drink), along with slicker graphics. In 1997, the cans became blue with color-coordinated swirls. The original orange flavor was reformulated around this time with the new slogan, "It's orange, only twisted." Orange Slice has since been changed back to its original flavor.[2]
In the summer of 2000, lemon-lime Slice was replaced in most markets by Sierra Mist, which became a national brand in 2003. The rest of the Slice line was replaced in most markets by Tropicana Twister Soda in the summer of 2005, although the Dr. Slice variety can still be found in some fountains.
In early 2006, Pepsi resurrected the Slice name for a new line of diet soda called Slice ONE. Marketed exclusively at Wal-Mart stores, Slice ONE was available in orange, grape and berry flavors, all sweetened with Splenda.
As of 2009, Slice (orange, diet orange, grape, strawberry and peach flavors) was available solely from Wal-Mart Stores.
Slice was launched in India in 1993 as a mango flavored drink and quickly went on to become a leading player in the category, In India, 'Slice Mango' is promoted by Bollywood actress, Katrina Kaif.[3] Slice mango is also available in Pakistan.
References
External links
- Orange Slice commercial - A 1997 commercial marketing the reformulated Slice.
- Photos of Slice cans