When Coke and Pepsi Fought for Soft Drink Supremacy in Space
The article discusses the competition between Coca-Cola and Pepsi to have their products featured on the Space Shuttle Challenger mission in 1985. NASA, the Reagan administration, and the astronauts were caught in the middle of this "cola war" in space. The companies fought to have their cans and marketing displayed during the mission, as it would provide valuable publicity and branding. Coca-Cola eventually secured a deal to have their cans used, but Pepsi fought back, attempting to block the deal and even lobbying the White House. In the end, Coca-Cola's cans were used on the mission, but the companies continued their fierce rivalry, each seeking to gain the upper hand in the lucrative soft drink market. The article highlights the lengths these major corporations were willing to go to in order to promote their products, even to the point of involving government and space exploration.
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