The greatest brand competition in history, the one between Coca-Cola and Pepsi, began in the 1930s and has played a role in American politics along with world consumerism.

The rivalry between the two truly escalated with the onset of World War II, when the brilliant, hard-driving Coca-Cola President Robert W. Woodruff ordered a special group of 148 Coca-Cola employees in the U.S. military to deliver Cokes to every G.I. “for five cents, wherever he is, and whatever it costs the company.” More than 5 billion servings of Coke would be distributed to wartime U.S. troops.

It was perhaps inevitable that the two major cola brands would find themselves sometimes intertwined with two sides of politics.

Eben Shapiro wrote in The New York Times of Nov. 1, 1992: "According to beverage industry lore, the Coca-Cola Company prospers under Democratic administrations, while PepsiCo thrives under the GOP." Kurt Eichenwald noted in the July 16, 1985, edition, "As with political parties, there are only two major players: Coca-Cola, the drink of Democrats, and Pepsi-Cola, the Republicans’ refresher. Sure there are third-party colas, but as in politics not much is said about them."

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