Since the Soviet ruble had no value outside of Russia, both parties had to resort to more traditional bartering methods to reach a deal. Getting Pepsi into the country wasn’t a smooth transaction. The Barter System Returnsĭespite Khrushchev’s immediate love for the American beverage, it took several years and a lot of negotiating until all of Russia could share a Pepsi with their comrades in 1972. Now in the captain’s chair, Kendall had a primary focus on finally bringing that sweet sugary goodness to the Soviet Union. Kendall’s fizzy gamble paid off, using the PR success from the exhibit to become Pepsi CEO in 1963. Kendall told Nixon that he “had to get a Pepsi in Khrushchev’s hand” to preserve his reputation. Higher-ups thought the effort was a waste of time and money. Kendall was taking a risk having Pepsi appear at the American National Exhibit. It was love at first sip for Khrushchev, who urged his comrades to join him in trying the tasty beverage.Įmbed from Getty Images Donald Kendall’s Soda Scheme To cool down the heated discussion, Donald Kendall, the head of Pepsi’s international division, told Nixon to offer Khrushchev a taste of the fruits of capitalism’s labor: Pepsi. It all started at the American National Exhibit in Moscow in 1959 when then-president Richard Nixon and Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev became locked in the infamous Kitchen Debate, an argument about the perks of capitalism versus communism.
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