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Pepsi tried to compete with Yoo-hoo by creating their own chocolate drink — and they lost big

Nypost · 🇺🇸 public United States · · 461 words · By Fox News
Corporate Competition Product History Nostalgia Marketing
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Pepsi tried to compete with Yoo-hoo by creating their own chocolate drink — and they lost big See more of our coverage in your search results.

Claims checked 13
Techniques found 1
Topics 3

Coverage spectrum

Coverage gap: Low Left coverage
Left0%
Center75%
Right25%

4 sources compared across this story cluster. This is an eFinder estimate from indexed source coverage, not an editorial rating.

What happened

Pepsi tried to compete with Yoo-hoo by creating their own chocolate drink — and they lost big See more of our coverage in your search results.

Why it matters

Add The New York Post on GoogleYoo-hoo has been a beloved beverage for decades, but for a brief period, Pepsi tried to compete by making its own chocolate drink.

Common ground

Yoo-hoo dates to the 1920s when grocery-store owner Natale Olivieri invented the beverage “as a chocolaty addition to the fruit juices being sold in New Jersey,” the company website says.

Perspective signals

The tension in the story is sharpened by Loaded Language: language that can make the dispute feel more urgent, personal, or adversarial than the underlying facts alone.

open_in_new Read the original article: https://nypost.com/2026/05/30/lifestyle/pepsi-tried-to-compete-with-yoo-hoo-and-…

psychologyPropaganda Techniques Detected

eFinder identified 1 propaganda technique in this article. These signals explain how wording, emphasis, or missing context can shape a reader's interpretation.

warning
Loaded Language 70% confidence
Using words with strong emotional connotations to influence an audience.
Found in this article: eFinder flagged this technique because the story's framing or source language may guide readers toward a particular interpretation. Review the claim checks and evidence below to separate what is directly supported from what is implied by wording or emphasis.
Why it matters: Recognizing loaded language helps readers compare the article's framing with the underlying facts and with coverage from other sources.

fact_checkClaims Checked

eFinder analyzed this article and checked 13 claims against available evidence, cross-references, web search, and Wikipedia. Here is what the fact-checking layer found.

info Single Source 4
schedule Pending 3
check_circle Corroborated 3
help Insufficient Evidence 2
verified Verified By Reference 1
schedule
Claim 1: “Yoo-hoo’s parent company, Keurig Dr Pepper, Inc.”
PENDING
This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.
info
Claim 2: “Within a year, Pepsi had discontinued the chocolate drink and sold its Devil Shake operations to Yoo-hoo for $1”
SINGLE SOURCE
Fox News reports that within a year Pepsi discontinued the drink and sold operations to Yoo-hoo for $1, citing the New York Times. No other independent source in the provided set confirms this specific transaction.
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Waco: American Apocalypse is an American documentary television miniseries about the Waco siege in 1993 between the US federal government and the Branch Davidians, led by David Koresh. It was released…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Waco:_American_Apocalypse
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Yoo-hoo is an American brand of chocolate-flavored beverage that was created by Natale Olivieri in Garfield, New Jersey, in 1928 and is currently manufactured by Keurig Dr Pepper. As of 2019, the drin…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yoo-hoo
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Pepsi, originally created in 1893 by Caleb Bradham and named "Brad's Drink," was first sold in his drugstore in New Bern, North Carolina. Renamed Pepsi-Cola in 1898 due to its supposed digestive benef…
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pepsi
+ 1 more evidence source
check_circle
Claim 3: “a $100,000 internal study predicted Devil Shake would outsell Yoo-hoo by a margin of 5 to 3”
CORROBORATED
Multiple sources (AOL, New York Times via AOL and other web results) report that a $100,000 internal study predicted Devil Shake would outsell Yoo-hoo by a 5 to 3 margin.
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Waco: American Apocalypse is an American documentary television miniseries about the Waco siege in 1993 between the US federal government and the Branch Davidians, led by David Koresh. It was released…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Waco:_American_Apocalypse
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Pepsi was convinced that its recipe was superior and that Devil Shake would outsell Yoo-Hoo by a five-to-three margin, according to the New York Times. But the company made one critical planning error…
https://www.tastingtable.com/2179628/retro-chocolate-drink-p…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Pepsi is a carbonated soft drink with a cola flavor, the flagship product of PepsiCo. In 2023, Pepsi was the second most valuable soft drink brand worldwide behind Coca-Cola; the two share a long-stan…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pepsi
+ 1 more evidence source
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Claim 4: “Pepsi introduced “Devil Shake” in 1966”
CORROBORATED
Multiple web sources (Fox News, Tasting Table via Fox News) confirm that Pepsi introduced 'Devil Shake' in 1966.
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The Harlem Shake is an Internet meme in the form of a video in which a group of people dance to a short excerpt from the song "Harlem Shake". The meme became viral in early February 2013, with thousan…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harlem_Shake_(meme)
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — This is an alphabetical list of PepsiCo brands. It lists licensed trademarks, partnerships, including those in only certain markets, and products, split into foodtypes.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_PepsiCo_brands
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — PepsiCo, Inc. is an American multinational food and beverage corporation headquartered in Harrison, New York, in the hamlet of Purchase. PepsiCo's business encompasses all aspects of the food and beve…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PepsiCo
+ 3 more evidence sources
help
Claim 5: “It’s also made with “water, cocoa powder, sugar and stabilizers”
INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE
No evidence was provided in the search results to confirm the specific list of ingredients (water, cocoa powder, sugar, stabilizers).
info
Claim 6: “rival Yoo-hoo held the rights to the technology needed to keep the drink shelf-stable”
SINGLE SOURCE
Fox News mentions that Pepsi failed to account for the fact that Yoo-hoo held the rights to the technology needed to keep the drink shelf-stable.
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Yoo-hoo isn't exactly chocolate milk. Yoo-Hoo box on Target shelf Shutterstock. For many of us, cracking open a Yoo-hoo conjures feelings of warm, wholesome nostalgia.A bunch of preservatives helps to…
https://www.mashed.com/484131/the-untold-truth-of-yoo-hoo/
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Złodzieje ukradli ciężarówkę Yoo Hoo Chocolate Drink w Nowym Jorku. Policja szuka informacji na temat tego, co się stało i kto jest odpowiedzialny.
https://firmy-godne-polecenia.pl/yoo-hoo-chocolate-drink-car…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — New York - A New York man is suing the makers of Yoo-Hoo chocolate-flavored drinks for $5 million, claiming they falsely advertise it as "good for you" when it actually contains unhealthy ingredients.
https://vinnews.com/2010/07/02/new-york-man-sues-yoo-hoo-ove…
schedule
Claim 7: “Inventor Olivieri’s wife inspired him to try the process for Yoo-hoo after he watched her sterilize jars while canning tomatoes”
PENDING
This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.
info
Claim 8: “By the 1960s, Yoo-hoo had cemented itself in American culture with baseball Hall of Fame catcher Yogi Berra and his Yankees teammates endorsing it”
SINGLE SOURCE
A Facebook post mentions Yogi Berra and his teammates sponsoring Yoo-hoo in TV commercials during the mid-1960s, but no other independent sources in the provided evidence corroborate this specific endorsement detail.
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Dale Anthony Berra (born December 13, 1956) is an American former Major League Baseball player who primarily played as an infielder from 1977 to 1987. He is the son of Hall of Fame catcher Yogi Berra …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dale_Berra
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Lawrence Peter "Yogi" Berra (born Lorenzo Pietro Berra; May 12, 1925 – September 22, 2015) was an American professional baseball catcher who later took on the roles of manager and coach. He played 19 …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yogi_Berra
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Yogi Berra Stadium is a baseball stadium in Little Falls, New Jersey, on the campus of Montclair State University. The stadium is home to the Montclair State Red Hawks baseball team, which competes in…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yogi_Berra_Stadium
+ 3 more evidence sources
info
Claim 9: “Pepsi partnered with Yoo-hoo briefly, paying their competitor about $1 million to produce Devil Shake”
SINGLE SOURCE
One web source explicitly states Pepsi paid Yoo-hoo about $1 million to produce Devil Shake. Other search results mentioning '$1 million' refer to a logo redesign and are irrelevant.
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Pepsi partnered with Yoo-hoo briefly, paying their competitor about $1 million to produce Devil Shake, but ultimately ended up losing millions of dollars and abandoned the product.
https://vegaspatriot.com/how-soft-drink-giant-pepsi-lost-big…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Remember, Pepsi paid $1 million for this. Page 6 of the diagram features a pretentious history of design which links the new Pepsi can to the
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/pepsis-nonsensical-logo-redesig…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — “$1 million for this?” wondered Jim Edwards on Pepsi's decision to pay $1 million for its logo to Arnell Group.
https://www.typeroom.eu/content/ten-years-ago-pepsi-paid-1-m…
help
Claim 10: “The drink’s extended shelf life is made possible with a hydrostatic sterilizer machine”
INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE
No evidence was provided in the search results regarding the use of a 'hydrostatic sterilizer machine'.
verified
Claim 11: “Yoo-hoo dates to the 1920s when grocery-store owner Natale Olivieri invented the beverage”
VERIFIED BY REFERENCE
Wikipedia explicitly states that Yoo-hoo was created by Natale Olivieri in Garfield, New Jersey, in 1928.
menu_book
wikipedia NEUTRAL — Yoo-hoo is an American brand of chocolate-flavored beverage that was created by Natale Olivieri in Garfield, New Jersey, in 1928 and is currently manufactured by Keurig Dr Pepper. As of 2019, the drin…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yoo-hoo
menu_book
wikipedia NEUTRAL — Dennis Joel (born Dennis Joel Olivieri, August 29, 1947 – September 27, 2006) was an American child actor and singer.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dennis_Joel
menu_book
wikipedia NEUTRAL — The Food That Built America is an American nonfiction docudrama series for the History Channel, that premiered on August 11, 2019. Each episode outlines the development of a popular type of food or re…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Food_That_Built_America
+ 3 more evidence sources
schedule
Claim 12: “Chocolate-banana, double fudge and island coconut are among the flavors that didn’t make it”
PENDING
This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.
check_circle
Claim 13: “Yoo-hoo contains no liquid milk and only requires refrigeration after opening, though it does contain powdered milk and whey”
CORROBORATED
Multiple sources (Facebook, Quora, and another web result) confirm that Yoo-hoo contains no liquid milk, uses powdered milk/whey, and requires refrigeration only after opening.
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Jan 20, 2025 ... Yoo- hoo is known to contain artificial flavors, preservatives, and a blend of water, high-fructose corn syrup, and whey, which might not ...
https://www.facebook.com/Neekee2011/posts/yoo-hoo-is-not-act…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Jan 7, 2026 ... Not Chocolate Milk: Because it contains water, whey, and non-fat dry milk instead of liquid dairy, it is formulated as a chocolate "drink" ...
https://www.instagram.com/reel/DTODaI-EV6G/?hl=en
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — May 30, 2026 ... Airborne microbes enter the bottle. Because the drink is rich in sugars and dairy proteins, bacteria quickly multiply. Refrigerating the open ...
https://www.quora.com/Why-does-Yoo-hoo-contain-no-liquid-mil…
info Disclaimer: This analysis is generated by AI and should be used as a starting point for critical thinking, not as definitive truth. Claims are verified against publicly available sources. Always consult the original article and additional sources for complete context.