Mountain Dew is selling cans for a nickel in a nostalgia marketing stunt on TikTok

The promotion marks the PepsiCo $PEP brand's origins in 1948, when two brothers in Tennessee created the citrus soda. Across those three days, bundles will be capped at 1,948 total — one per customer. Each bundle contains a commemorative can featuring heritage-inspired labeling and a 10-pack of Mountain Dew mini cans.

Each morning at noon ET, Mountain Dew will post that day's available quantity to its Instagram Stories. The brand said buyers should follow its TikTok account to know when each drop goes live.

The commemorative can is part of Mountain Dew's "American Original — Tasting Great Since '48" campaign, which launched in April across social and digital media. The campaign includes four short films — Big Spender, Hoedown, Cold Ones, and In the Mix — each referencing the brand's Tennessee roots.

"Since 1948, Mountain Dew has been defined by bold spirit, unrelentless grit and ambitious energy — qualities that continue to drive the brand forward today," Michael Smith, VP of Marketing for Mountain Dew at PepsiCo Beverages U.S., said in a statement. "This commemorative can is about bringing that origin story to life, paying homage to our roots as an American Original and giving fans a meaningful way to celebrate Dew history."

The five-cent price point is a nostalgia marketing tactic, according to Entrepreneur, part of a broader trend of consumer brands leaning on retro touchstones. Other examples cited by the outlet include Kellogg $K's putting toys back in cereal boxes — a first in more than a decade — alongside McDonald's $MCD revival of its fried apple pie after three decades off the menu and a LEGO set modeled after the Nintendo Game Boy, marketed to the generation that grew up with one.

PepsiCo generated nearly $94 billion in net revenue in 2025, the company said. Mountain Dew is among its brands that generate more than $1 billion each in annual retail sales.