What was the name of the failed 1985 reformulation of Coca-Cola?

The failed 1985 reformulation of Coca-Cola was called New Coke. Coca-Cola introduced the sweeter version in the United States on April 23, 1985, after taste tests suggested that consumers preferred it to the original formula and, in some tests, to Pepsi.

The company’s research measured immediate taste preference but underestimated consumers’ emotional attachment to the original Coca-Cola. After the reformulation replaced the original drink, public protests, angry calls, and organized campaigns demanded the old formula’s return.

On July 11, 1985—just 79 days after the launch—Coca-Cola announced that the original formula would return as Coca-Cola Classic. New Coke continued to be sold for a time and was renamed Coke II in 1990, but it never displaced the original. The episode became a classic example of how surveys and blind taste tests can miss brand loyalty and cultural meaning.