In 1989, Pepsi tried to move cola onto the breakfast table with Pepsi A.M. It had about 28% more caffeine per ounce than regular Pepsi, but still far less than coffee; Pepsi also cut the carbonation for a smoother morning drink.
The pitch was simple: coffee drinkers were switching away, so perhaps they would switch to Pepsi instead. The product lasted about a year before Pepsi A.M. disappeared. Turns out “soda, but earlier” was not a new daily ritual people were waiting for.
Sources: Los Angeles Times, “Pepsi to Test Formula With Extra Caffeine” (Associated Press, 1989); UPI, “Pepsi hopes to make splash in morning soft drink market” (1989); Associated Press, “They’re Not Waking Up to Pepsi AM” (1990).
Image: Tatsnorad / Wikimedia Commons. Representative Pepsi packaging, not Pepsi A.M. CC0 image details.