The "Pepsi Generation" Oral History and Documentation Collection
name: label: Creator
content: Ellsworth, Scott, Dr.
label: Creator
content: Archives Center, National Museum of American History
title: label: Topic
content: Pepsi-Cola World
label: Topic
content: Pepsi-Cola (soft drink)
topic: label: Topic
content: Advertising agencies
label: Topic
content: Ambiguity in advertising
label: Topic
content: Marketing
label: Topic
content: Music in advertising
label: Topic
content: Prize contests in advertising
label: Topic
content: Broadcast advertising
label: Topic
content: advertising -- Beverages -- 1930-1990
label: Topic
content: Advertising writing
label: Topic
content: Television advertising
label: Topic
content: Product demonstrations
label: Topic
content: Youth-oriented advertising
label: Topic
content: Slogans
acqinfo: label: Provenance
content: Collection donated by Pepsi-Cola Company through Rebecca Madiera in 1983. Interviews made for the Smithsonian Institution in 1984 and 1985.
creator: label: Creator
content: Ellsworth, Scott, Dr.
label: Creator
content: Archives Center, National Museum of American History
setName: label: See more items in
content: The "Pepsi Generation" Oral History and Documentation Collection
abstract: label: Summary
content: The Pepsi Generation Collection is the result of an oral history and documentation project conducted in 1984 and 1985 by the Center for Advertising History and supported in part by a grant from the Pepsi Cola Company.
bioghist: label: Biographical / Historical
content: In 1983, as part of the 20th anniversary of the "Pepsi Generation" advertising campaign, Pepsi-Cola donated to the Archives Center approximately 200 advertising and promotional items (see collection AC0092). The Archives Center accepted these items and proposed an oral history project to document the "Pepsi Generation" story.

The Archives Center embarked upon this project in the spring of 1983. A professional oral historian, Dr. Scott Ellsworth, conducted twenty-nine interviews during 1984 and 1985 with twenty-six people involved in Pepsi advertising, including bottlers, advertising executives, producers, directors, a songwriter, a performer, a publisher, the president of Pepsi, the chairman of the board, and two former Pepsi presidents.

The interviews focus primarily on the "Come Alive, You're In The Pepsi Generation" advertising campaign, Pepsi's adoption of youth-oriented advertising, campaign execution, television commercial production, background of the idea for the "Think Young" campaign, and the company's response to the "Pepsi Generation"campaign.

The Pepsi Generation Collection is the result of this oral history and documentation project conducted in 1984 and 1985 by the Center for Advertising History and supported in part by a grant from the Pepsi Cola Company.
physdesc: label: Extent
content: 7.7 Cubic feet (32 boxes)
unitdate: label: Date
content: 1938-1986
dataSource: label: Archival Repository
content: Archives Center, National Museum of American History
identifier: label: Identifier
content: NMAH.AC.0111
objectType: label: Type
content: Collection descriptions
label: Type
content: Archival materials
label: Type
content: Audiocassettes
label: Type
content: Commercials
label: Type
content: Interviews
label: Type
content: Oral history
label: Type
content: Videotapes
arrangement: label: Arrangement
content: The collection is arranged into five series

Series 1: Research Files, 1943-1985

Series 2: Interviewee Files, 1984-1985

Series 3: Oral History Interviews, 1984-1985

Subseries 3.1: Reference Copies, 1984-1985

Subseries 3.2: Master Tapes,1984-1985

Subseries 3.3: Original Tapes, 1984-1985

Series 4: Pepsi-Cola Video, 1946-1988

Subseries 4.1: Reference videos

Subseries 4.2: Master Copies

Series 5: Pepsi Cola Audio, circa 1970, undated
processinfo: label: Processing Information
content: Processed by Carol L. Dreyfus, 1986, and revised by Mimi Minnick, archivist, 1995.
altformavail: label: Existence and Location of Copies
content: Several reels of television commercials have been digitized and are available in the Smithsonian Institution Digital Asset Management System (DAMS).
genre_format: label: Genre/Form
content: Audiocassettes
label: Genre/Form
content: Commercials
label: Genre/Form
content: Interviews -- 1980-2000
label: Genre/Form
content: Oral history
label: Genre/Form
content: Videotapes
scopecontent: label: Scope and Contents
content: At the core of the "Pepsi Generation" Oral History and Documention Collection are oral history interviews with individuals involved with Pepsi-Cola and its advertising campaigns. In addition to the oral histories there are research files which include an almost complete run of Pepsi-Cola World, interview abstracts, print advertising, and television commercials from Pepsi's best-known advertising campaigns.
relatedmaterial: label: Related Materials
content: Materials in the Archives Center

Warshaw Collection of Business Americana, Beverages 

N.W. Ayer Advertising Agency Records 

Pepsi-Cola Advertising Collection