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Pepsi’s new ‘Pilk’ ad has left Laverne And Shirley fans reminiscing about the unique drinks feature in the classic 70s sitcom.
Fans of the classic series will probably remember that the Pepsi and milk blend was a comfort drink for Laverne and was featured across the show when the character was in crisis.
While the inspiration for the ad is said to have followed the beverage’s recent trending status across TikTok, fans of Laverne And Shirley have noted how the drink featured in the show decades before.
‘Milk and Pepsi’ combo featured across Laverne And Shirley show run
Those who watched the late 70s sitcom will already be familiar with Pilk, aka Pepsi and milk, because of the beloved character Laverne DeFazio.
Throughout the series run, the drink became a go-to beverage of Laverne as she would drink it for comfort in hard times.
Although while the character enjoyed the drink on-screen, it was also a favorite drink of Penny Marshall, the star behind Laverne.
In a 1988 interview with the Los Angeles Times, the actress was said to have been drinking the Pepsi and milk blend while chatting with the publication.
As explained by Cultureness, it was her real-life love for the beverage which later led to the drink featuring as part of the Laverne And Shirley series.
The drink was inspired by Laverne actress’ childhood creation
Marshall previously revealed that her character’s on-screen comfort beverage was actually inspired by a drink she started drinking as a child.
In her 2012 autobiography My Mother Was Nuts, Marshall revealed she created the concoction after her mother made her drink milk before having a glass of Pepsi.
She explained: “At kosher camp, they couldn’t drink milk with meat, so they had Pepsi. I wanted Pepsi, too. But my mother made me drink milk first. Then she gave me the soda.”
Marshall added that she used the same cup for both drinks, which sometimes resulted in the two beverages mixing together. The actress continued: “Sometimes [her mother] didn’t rinse out the glass. Sometimes it wasn’t even empty. Eventually, it became half and half.”
Laverne And Shirley fans remember iconic milk and Pepsi drink
While the Pepsi and milk combo trends online following the soda brand’s new ad, it is certainly not a new beverage to Laverne And Shirley fans.
Fans of the 70s have taken to Twitter as they have explained to younger generations on the micro-blogging platform how the drink has been around for decades.
One user wrote: “Why is the internet acting like Lindsay Lohan invented milk and Pepsi? I recall Laverne and Shirley doing that back in the 1970s!”
Another echoed: “I’ve known about it since Laverne and Shirley. I thought it was gross then and still gross now.”
A third quipped: “For all of you freaking out over Pepsi and milk…you are obviously too young to remember Laverne and Shirley.”
