PURCHASE, N.Y., Mar 22, 2004 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ -- The spark is back. Due to an overwhelmingly positive response from consumers, Pepsi-Cola North America (PCNA) is bringing Mountain Dew LiveWire back to store shelves nationwide beginning this week. It will remain in market through August.

Mountain Dew LiveWire -- the unmistakable flavor of Mountain Dew with an infusion of orange and other citrus flavors -- lit up store shelves during the summer of 2003, adding a 10% volume swing to the Mountain Dew trademark. It also lit up Pepsi's phone lines with requests to bring it back to the marketplace after its exit from stores in September.

"Since the end of last summer, consumers have been buzzing with requests to bring back Mountain Dew LiveWire," said Steve Sears, vice president of marketing of flavored soft drinks for PCNA. "We listened, and we're getting a jump start on the warm weather months by bringing it back now."

Mountain Dew LiveWire will be available in 20-oz bottles, 2-liter bottles, and 12- and 24-pack cans. Its rollout, which begins this week and is expected to be complete by mid-April, will be supported by a national television commercial, a radio merchandising program and online support.

Mountain Dew LiveWire also will be included in the Dew U summer-long consumer promotion in which consumers can drink Dew and get free merchandise through mid-August. Prizes include autographed collectibles and memorabilia from pro basketball star Tracy McGrady and Mountain Dew-sponsored action sports athletes, as well as limited-edition items from Microsoft Xbox. Details are available at www.mountaindew.com.

Purchase, N.Y.-based Pepsi-Cola North America (www.pepsi.com) is the $4 billion refreshment beverage unit of PepsiCo Inc. in the United States and Canada. In addition to Mountain Dew LiveWire, its U.S. brands include Pepsi, Diet Pepsi, Pepsi ONE, Wild Cherry Pepsi, Pepsi Twist, Pepsi Vanilla, Mountain Dew, Mountain Dew Code Red, Sierra Mist, Mug, Slice, Aquafina, Dole single- serve juices, Tropicana Juice Drinks and SoBe. The company also makes and markets North America's best-selling ready-to-drink iced teas and coffees, respectively, via joint ventures with Lipton and Starbucks.

SOURCE Pepsi-Cola North America