Discontinued Sodas Still Haunt Consumers' Memories

Surge was Coca-Cola's attempt to take market share from Mountain Dew in the late 1990s. The citrus-flavored soda was a genuine youth phenomenon, but it disappeared from shelves in 2003.

Crystal Pepsi, another failed product, was marketed as a purer alternative to traditional cola, and its nostalgia is partly due to its bizarre concept, a clear-colored drink that tasted like cola.

Josta, the first national energy soda in the US, combined fruit flavors with guarana and was marketed through extreme sports advertising. Despite being popular, it was discontinued in 1999.

New Coke's failure is well-documented, but recent evidence suggests that some of the backlash may have been orchestrated rather than spontaneous.