10 Conspiracy Theories That People Are No Longer Believing
3. New Coke
This didn't end well for anyone.
In 1985, Coca Cola made probably its biggest error in judgment: they thought what was wrong with their product was the taste. This perceived problem largely stemmed from unfair taste tests like Pepsi V. Coke that didn't really tell you much about Coke' clientele, only who preferred the other. To rectify this not-a-problem, Coke announced that they would restructure their formula for the first time since they took the REAL stuff out of the drink.
New Coke, the unofficial name for Coke II, was launched with great fanfare.
To quote then Coca Cola President Donald Keough in response to the conspiracy theories that developed after the failed launch, "We're not that smart and we're not that stupid."
The theories vary, but the gist is that the product was always intended to fail for one of three reasons. First, that the company wanted customers to demand the old product, causing stocks to spike. Second, that the switch was intended to soften the blow from the change from sugar to the cheaper high-fructose corn syrup. And the final, most fun theory, of course, involves cocaine.
It provided cover for the removal of all coca-derived products from the market to help the DEA finally eradicate the coca plant.
Given that Quentin Tarantino began writing screenplays and Stephen King directed Maximum Overdrive, the DEA's operation couldn't have been a success.