The rumors are true: Coca-Cola’s Pibb Xtra is now going back to its former name, Mr. Pibb. Along with the new (old) moniker, Coca-Cola has also reformulated its competitor, the good doctor, and given Pibb a makeover.
Mr. Pibb was originally called “Peppo” and was even tested in Dr. Pepper’s hometown of Waco, Texas, in 1972. Dr. Pepper sued Coca-Cola for trademark infringement, and by 1980, Peppo was renamed “Mr. Pibb.”
The Texan doctor was never really threatened by Coca-Cola’s soda. In 2001, the Atlanta-based company reformulated Mr. Pibb, adding more cinnamon and positioning it as a “spicy cherry” soda and renaming it “Pibb Xtra.”
