Step right up, Queens — the Cola Wars are back, and your taste buds are the battleground.
Pepsi is bringing its iconic Pepsi Challenge to Queens as part of a national tour to show consumers that Pepsi Zero Sugar tastes better than Coke Zero Sugar.
The tour, which celebrates the 50th anniversary of the original Pepsi Challenge, will roll into Flushing Meadows Corona Park on Friday, May 17, during the Queens Night Market, offering attendees a chance to take a blind taste test between the two rival zero-sugar colas. The event runs from 4 p.m. to midnight.
According to Pepsi, the revitalized challenge has so far proven successful in every city it’s visited, with participants in all tested markets including Atlanta, Coke’s own hometown, choosing Pepsi Zero Sugar over Coke Zero Sugar.
“Pepsi Zero Sugar isn’t just winning the challenge — it’s winning on shelves,” the company said in a statement.
The Queens Night Market appearance is one of several stops in New York City between May 16 and May 18, with other events taking place at Yankee Stadium in the Bronx, the 9th Avenue International Food Festival in Manhattan, and Smorgasburg Prospect Park in Brooklyn.
The Pepsi Challenge first gained fame in the 1970s as a groundbreaking marketing campaign that challenged consumers to pick their favorite soda in a blind test. The original campaign marked a turning point in the “Cola Wars,” and was notable for its direct comparison advertising, which was unconventional at the time.
Now, 50 years later, Pepsi is once again leaning into bold marketing with a sugar-free twist. At each location, participants receive two unmarked cups, sample both drinks and choose the one they prefer. Those who select Pepsi Zero Sugar get a celebratory moment and a free 20-ounce bottle of the drink to take home.
The competition is part of a broader, months-long Pepsi campaign running through October.
And for anyone who doesn’t choose Pepsi? The company has a message: “Even those with questionable taste deserve a second chance.” Everyone who takes part in the test walks away with a bottle of Pepsi Zero Sugar — winner or not.
