Another day, another post about Pepsi and Coke

This time however, I am not establishing a rivalry between these two brands. Nor am I seeking to point out there differences, nor highlight my preference of beverage. No, in this post, both brands are treated as equals. This is because I'm talking about those things that may only be around for a short time, that at the time you don't appreciate them as you should, and before you know it - they're gone. Brand extensions my friends, can be short lived.

DISCLAIMER: This entire post I will be debating the validity of bringing up McDonalds pizza as a brand extension, because now that it is in my mind, I have to speak of the great injustice done to it. But this will come later.

Vanilla Coke and
Pepsi Twist. Limited time.
At times I miss you.

A haiku, by Nigel

So here's the deal, brands sometimes take a winning formula, name, product, what have you - they try something new. They come up with stuff like Vanilla Coke (which I don't terribly miss, but a sip every once in a while would be nice - plus it mixed surprisingly well with gin) and Pepsi Twist (still don't really miss it, just wish it was around at times). Not like the disastrous New Coke (which in this program we should be quite familiar with), but different takes on the core brand, a flavour niche currently unoccuppiedAAAARRRGGGGGHHH

I CAN'T DO IT!!!

When McDonalds went from serving the same crappy burgers and fries, to introducing a new product, something changed in me. They had created something that I found to be so unlike anything they had done before. They gave me McDonalds pizza, annd for a time, it was good. Then they snatched it away from me, those bastards. How can you introduce something as amazing as McDonalds pizza into the world, only to ensure that after a short time, it will never return again. See McDonalds, you only got half of the brand extension sweet spot right in my opinion (and as a fact): you introduced something new from your brand that had not existed there before, BUT it was only around for a short time. Now it was never marketed as being for a "limited time", it just didn't work for you so you discarded it. You've never tried to bring it back. This was a mistake. I know that my (and I'm sure there are many others) business in your "restaurant" would increase about 4000% if you brought back this pizza. But you haven't, and I've always secretly hated you for it McDonalds.

There, that was my rant - I hope it accomplished the task of speaking about brand extensions, but right now I'm almost too riled up to care.