Dust off your Jellies and break out your old Pog collection — the ’90s are back! More than 20 years after it first hit and then disappeared from shelves, Crystal Pepsi is poised for a major revival, and it’s all thanks to a campaign by YouTube sensation Kevin Strahle and his nostalgia-loving followers.
Strahle, aka L.A. Beast, has been on a mission to bring back Crystal Pepsi for years now, ever since a video of him drinking a 20-year-old bottle of the stuff in 2013 went viral. (It has more than 11.2 million views on YouTube.)
He and other Crystal Pepsi enthusiasts have launched a full-fledged campaign for the clear cola, including a Change.org petition, a Facebook page, emails to the soda company’s CEO, calls to the customer service line, and even billboards promoting the hashtag #BringBackCrystalPepsi.
This week, the group’s hard work was rewarded with a letter from Pepsi, which Strahle tweeted on June 8. “Your love for Pepsi is clear — crystal clear. The passion you’ve shown for Crystal Pepsi is unmatched, and we love it!” it read.
Just received this from @pepsi on twitter a min agoIt is my duty to share it with all of you. #BringBackCrystalPEPSI pic.twitter.com/hyTbH5spbL
— L.A. Beast (@KevLAbeast) June 8, 2015
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“We’ve had customers ask us to bring back their favorite products before, but never with your level of enthusiasm and humor. We’re lucky to have a Pepsi superfan like you on our side. We definitely hear you and your followers and we think you’ll all be happy with what’s in store.”
Pepsi confirmed to NBC News that the letter was real, saying, “We take customer feedback very seriously and we do think Crystal Pepsi fans will be happy with what we have planned.”
Strahle, meanwhile, is more determined than ever to lead the charge. “We all have a passion, and we just want to see Crystal Pepsi come back and share the joy, that’s all,” he told ABC News of the campaign. “We’re not threatening Pepsi, we’re just working with them for the greater goal.”
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