RC Cola wants to make a comeback after years out of the spotlight.
Parent company Keurig Dr Pepper is hoping nostalgia and renewed interest in cola flavors can breathe new life into the 120-year-old brand. Earlier this year, Keurig Dr Pepper released the first advertising campaign for RC Cola in 40 years.
Founded in 1905, RC Cola may not have been the first-ever cola, but it is one of the most innovative. The brand was the first to sell soda in aluminum cans, the first to produce a low-calorie diet cola and the first to stage nationwide taste tests.
It reached cult classic status thanks to its history of John Wayne marketing campaigns in the 1940s, and was the No. 3 soda brand in the 1960s before largely disappearing out of the public's mind.
Now, at a time when legacy brand nostalgia is trending in the beverage industry, Keurig Dr Pepper believes the time is right for RC Cola to reenter the conversation and introduce itself to consumers new and old. The soda still maintains the same packaging it had in the 1970s and '80s.
RC Cola's advertising campaign was tied to Chicago, which remains a stronghold for the brand due to its ties to local pizza chains. The campaign's tagline — “Not a soft drink. Just a damn good cola,” — speaks to how the brand is positioning itself as an unfussy, affordable soda in a sea of functional options.
“We think that right now [we] can really stand out as the soda category has become dominated by a bunch of messaging around wellness and also happiness and crowd pleasing: wanting to be great for everyone,” Erica Hollington, director of brand marketing for Keurig Dr Pepper’s emerging brands, said in an interview.
Building out RC Cola also offers Keurig Dr Pepper the opportunity to reach a different segment of consumers. The beverage giant has historically planted its flag in the flavored soda category, especially making a name for itself in ginger ale, orange soda and root beer. But it has been under the radar in cola, Hollington said.
Cola represents 46% of overall soda sales with further room to grow, Keurig Dr Pepper told Food Dive, citing Circana data. In 2024, cola sales were up 4.6% year over year.
Within the Keurig Dr Pepper portfolio, RC Cola is relatively small, but Hollington said the company sees “huge growth potential” for the brand, which still has high awareness among consumers.
Other soda giants have also looked to revive older brands to capitalize on nostalgia. Beverage rival Coca-Cola rereleased Mr. Pibb with an adjusted recipe and has offered limited-time beverages with retro-inspired packaging for Diet Coke.
Hollington said this interest in nostalgia comes from consumers gravitating toward what they view as authentic brands, or ones with a long history. RC Cola benefits from this because of its longevity and credibility with past innovation, she said.
This commitment to its roots means RC Cola doesn’t want to follow every trend in the soda space, though it did recently launch a zero-sugar version of the cola. Keurig Dr Pepper isn’t planning further innovation for the brand in the near term, but is instead focused on building out its current offerings.
“[We can] worry more about really being true to ourselves and speaking directly to our current loyal fans and those others that may become part of that fan club,” Hollington said.
