What if New Coke had been a government program?

In April 23, 1985, the Coca-Cola Company made one of the biggest mistakes in American business history: it changed the formula for Coca-Cola. Outraged consumers sent hate mail to Coca-Cola executives and hoarded “The Real Thing.” Coca-Cola executives had done their homework: taste tests revealed that people preferred the taste of “New Coke,” and the results suggested the new formula would better position Coke relative to its closest competitor, Pepsi. They corrected their mistake pretty quickly and reintroduced the original formula as “Coca-Cola Classic.” New Coke was rebranded as Coke II and ultimately discontinued.

Business history is littered with products like New Coke. The Ford Edsel flopped. Crystal Pepsi comes back in limited-edition runs periodically, but all that’s really left of it is its clever use of Van Halen’s song “Right Now” and a memory. No amount of clown-powered corporate muscle could make McPizza, the McDLT, onion nuggets, the Arch Deluxe, McCrab, McSpaghetti, McHotDog, chicken fajitas, or any of McDonald’s other failed menu items work. People criticize McDonald’s and other fast food outlets for not offering healthier options, but it isn’t for lack of trying.