As of Monday, March 22, it is launching the first addition to its glue cannon with permanent flavor in five years: Pepsi Mango. Although we saw some Pepsi flavor news coming up last year –Pepsi apple pie it was genuinely delicious and although we didn’t get a chance to try Pepsi Hot Cocoa, the spirit behind the idea seemed pure and true. But Pepsi Mango is not a single promotion. Oh no. These things are here to stay.
A press release sent to The Takeout describes the “shiny, rich citrus notes of caramel” of the new soda, which allegedly “create the perfect cola base for the ripe and juicy flavors that make the mango so irresistible”. I love mango and I certainly won’t turn down a Pepsi – but I have doubts about how realistic this combination can be. Wouldn’t the caramel notes in the cola drown out the fruity mango?
I think my concern comes down to a question: why? Why did they do that? Todd Kaplan, vice president of marketing for Pepsi, does his best to explain in the press release: “Mango is one of the most popular fruits in the world and serves as the perfect complement for Pepsi, creating an irresistible combination that our fans can enjoy anywhere throughout the year. ” Well OK. Thanks for playing, Todd.
To celebrate “unlikely pairs”, Pepsi Mango is launching a new campaign “dedicated to helping real people find their perfect match, even with the most amazing person”. According to the statement, in early April, Pepsi will launch a series of dating commercials for a handful of “interesting young singles” on various advertising platforms. I’m not sure what will happen if one of the interesting young singles (TM) catches your eye. Maybe you can send them a good email. Regardless, if you need a little bit of liquid courage to put yourself there, you can buy Pepsi Mango at retailers across the country starting on Monday, March 22, in the Regular and Zero Sugar varieties.