The original capacity of Pepsi’s famous five-cent bottle introduced during the Great Depression was 12 ounces.
In 1934, Pepsi promoted a 12-ounce bottle sold for five cents. That price was striking because competing soft drinks commonly sold smaller bottles for the same amount. Pepsi’s larger serving helped the company attract customers who were watching their spending during the Great Depression.
The promotion became one of Pepsi’s most important early marketing successes. It emphasized quantity and value rather than relying only on flavor or brand imagery. The idea also helped Pepsi distinguish itself from Coca-Cola in a fiercely competitive soft-drink market.
The five-cent price did not last forever, and bottle sizes changed as costs and consumer expectations evolved. The historical point is the combination of a 12-ounce serving and the five-cent price, which made the campaign memorable.