Pepsi introduced Diet Pepsi in 1964 as its first major diet cola.
The launch reflected the growing market for low-calorie soft drinks in the United States. Diet Pepsi was developed as a no-sugar counterpart to Pepsi-Cola and gave the company a direct product in the expanding diet-beverage category.
The product was originally marketed in the United States as Diet Pepsi. Its formula and packaging changed over time, as Pepsi adjusted sweeteners and branding in response to consumer tastes and regulatory changes. It remains one of Pepsi’s best-known cola products.
Diet Pepsi is sometimes confused with Pepsi-Cola’s earlier diet experiments or with Pepsi Zero Sugar, which has had different names in different markets. Pepsi Zero Sugar was formerly called Pepsi Max in many countries and was renamed in the United States in 2016. Diet Pepsi, by contrast, dates to 1964 and was the company’s principal diet cola for decades.