Based on Stephanie Capparell’s 2008 book, The Real Pepsi Challenge, “The Color of Cola” documents how a pioneering company in the late 1940s broke corporate color barriers and reshaped the perception of Black lives in America. The film centers on Ed Boyd and the first-of-its-kind, all-Black sales team he recruited and led within a predominantly white corporate structure. Tasked with selling to the burgeoning, previously ignored African American consumer market, Boyd and his team transformed how Black people were portrayed in national advertising. As they traveled through the deep Jim Crow South to spread their message, they were pursued by the stereotypes and bigotry of pre-civil rights America. Despite these odds, they achieved overwhelming success—a success that ultimately led to their downfall.
Directed by: Jacqueline Olive, Stanley Nelson
RT: 79 min