Sierra Mist Is Officially Gone; Say Hello To 'Starry,' One of the Worst Rebrands Ever

R.I.P. Sierra Mist (1999-2023)

One of the most recognizable names in the soda industry, but least popular in terms of sale, is officially off the shelves this week.

Sierra Mist, owned by PepsiCo Inc. and long branded as an alternative to the Coca-Cola-owned Sprite, has been canned after failing to spark a following in its 24-year run.

Sierra Mist Fizzled Out

With Sprite absolutely crushing the lemon-lime game, eating up a whopping 7 percent of the $82 billion U.S. soda market, according to Bloomberg, PepsiCo is praying to its lucky stars that a new look and name will help draw them closer to toppling the Sprite empire.

Instead of wiping the lemon-lime flavored soda out altogether, PepsiCo is opting to rebrand Sierra Mist into Starry, a new title that lacks both caffeine and flavor, at least in terms of branding.

Starry, the new Sierra Mist.

Soda historians will remember that Sierra Mist originally started as Slice, the original Sprite competitor, first launched in 1984.

"With one product dominating the category, consumers deserve another option," announced PepsiCo Beverages North America Chief Marketing Officer Greg Lyons.

According to Bloomberg, Sierra Mist only made up 0.2 percent of PepsiCo's earnings, and the company will not face any major losses by ditching the decades-long drink.

Too sweet to add to a 7 & 7 and too flat to pair with a calzone, it may not take long for Sierra Mist to be forgotten by consumers, but it'll always have a special place in the hearts of kids raised in the aughts.

Sierra Mist now goes to soda heaven, where Crystal Pepsi and Aspen await with open arms. So start hoarding those liters of Sierra Mist now to re-sell it on eBay in 2050 for 5x its worth.