Caffeine-Free Pepsi
Can of Caffeine-Free diet Pepsi with the 2005 design | |
| Type | Cola |
|---|---|
| Manufacturer | Pepsi |
| Origin | United States |
| Introduced | 1982 |
| Related products | Caffeine-Free Coca-Cola |
| Website | pepsi.com/caffeine-free |
Caffeine-Free Pepsi[1] is a version of Pepsi that omits the caffeine that is customarily part of a cola. The drink has been marketed by PepsiCo since 1982. A sugar-free variant, Caffeine-Free Diet Pepsi, also exists. Caffeine-Free Pepsi is marketed and distincted with a gold colored brand and packaging.[2]
History
The product was introduced under the brand name Pepsi Free in 1982.[3] It was claimed by PepsiCo to be 99.7 percent caffeine free.[4] Diet Pepsi Free, a version based on Diet Pepsi, was also launched.[5][6] The "Pepsi Free" name was phased out by 1987 and both were rebranded to their present names. As of 1994, it ranked as the tenth most sold soft drink in the United States.[7]
In popular culture
Pepsi Free (as it was then known) was the subject of a scene in the 1985 blockbuster film Back to the Future. Upon entering a café in 1955, Marty McFly (Michael J. Fox) asks for a Tab (Coca-Cola's first version of a sugar-free soft drink, which was not available until 1963) and is told that he cannot have a "tab," unless he orders something. He then asks for a Pepsi Free and is told, "If you want a Pepsi, pal, you're gonna pay for it!" ("Free" is here being mistaken for gratis.).[8][9]
Notes
- ^ "CAFFEINE FREE PEPSI - Trademark Details". Justia Trademarks. Retrieved February 24, 2026.
- ^ "Breathtaking Design Strategy" (PDF). Arnell Group. 2008.
- ^ Dougherty, Philip H. (1982-10-25). "ADVERTISING; Pepsico Sets the Debut Of a Drink, Pepsi Free". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2023-03-03.
- ^ "Decaffeinated Pepsi Free heads for US marketplace". Christian Science Monitor. ISSN 0882-7729. Retrieved 2023-03-03.
- ^ Ferraro, Thomas (November 2, 1984). "Pepsi dumps saccharin out of diet drinks - UPI Archives". UPI. Retrieved 2023-03-03.
- ^ "Pepsi introduces diet and caffeine free colas - UPI Archives". UPI. Retrieved 2025-09-10.
- ^ "Corrections (Published 1995)". The New York Times. 1995-02-02. Retrieved 2025-09-10.
- ^ "Diet Drinks Get Aliases (Published 2004)". 2004-12-20. Retrieved 2025-09-10.
- ^ Meslow, Scott (2010-10-26). "5 Things 'Back to the Future' Tells Us About the Past". The Atlantic. Retrieved 2025-09-10.