Archives Center, National Museum of American History

Guide to The "Pepsi Generation" Oral History and Documentation Collection

Summary

Collection ID:
NMAH.AC.0111
Creators:
Ellsworth, Scott, Dr.
Archives Center, National Museum of American History
Dates:
1938-1986
Languages:
English
.
Physical Description:
7.7 Cubic feet
32 boxes
Repository:
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.

Scope and Contents

Scope and Contents
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.

Arrangement

Arrangement
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

Biographical / Historical

Biographical / Historical
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.

Administration

Author
Carol Dreyfus
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Collection donated by Pepsi-Cola Company through Rebecca Madiera in 1983. Interviews made for the Smithsonian Institution in 1984 and 1985.
Existence and Location of Copies
Several reels of television commercials have been digitized and are available in the Smithsonian Institution Digital Asset Management System (DAMS).
Processing Information
Processed by Carol L. Dreyfus, 1986, and revised by Mimi Minnick, archivist, 1995.

Using the Collection

Preferred Citation
The "Pepsi Generation" Oral History and Documentation Collection, Archives Center, National Museum of American History, Smithsonian Institution
Conditions Governing Access
Collection is open for research. One oral history is restricted. Only reference copies of the audiovisual materials may be used. Several reels of television commercials have been digitized and are available in the Smithsonian Institution's Digital Asset Management System (DAMS).
Conditions Governing Use
Collection items available for reproduction, but the Archives Center makes no guarantees concerning copyright restrictions. Other intellectual property rights may apply. Archives Center cost-recovery and use fees may apply when requesting reproductions.

Related Materials
Materials in the Archives Center
Warshaw Collection of Business Americana, Beverages
N.W. Ayer Advertising Agency Records
Pepsi-Cola Advertising Collection

Keywords

Keywords table of terms and types.
Keyword Terms Keyword Types
Audiocassettes Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Commercials Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Advertising agencies Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Pepsi-Cola World Title Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Interviews -- 1980-2000 Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Oral history Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Videotapes Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Ambiguity in advertising Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Marketing Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Music in advertising Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Prize contests in advertising Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Pepsi-Cola (soft drink) Title Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Broadcast advertising Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
advertising -- Beverages -- 1930-1990 Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Advertising writing Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Television advertising Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Product demonstrations Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Youth-oriented advertising Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Slogans Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid

Archives Center, National Museum of American History
P.O. Box 37012
Suite 1100, MRC 601
Washington, D.C. 20013-7012
Business Number: Phone: 202-633-3270
Fax Number: Fax: 202-786-2453
archivescenter@si.edu