Crystal Light made a Splash in our House in the Eighties

I grew up in a house with two older sisters and a mother who were not immune to the fitness crazes of the 1980s. Normally, I would just watch from afar and giggle at them as they did their aerobic workouts or whatever it is they decided to try that month. Sometimes, though, their madness was not something I could avoid. Especially when it involved food.

As sugar-free beverages started to proliferate, it became a real challenge to get any of my family members to buy stuff with “real sugar” in it. When Crystal Light hit the scene, it went over in a big way, especially the lemonade flavor, and for close to a year, I think this might have been the only “sweetened” beverage in the house. While I had to admit, Crystal Light tasted a lot better than some other sugar-free drinks out there, I came to despise it since it took some of my favorite soft drinks out of play.

Each commercial and ad I saw, and they played a lot of them, was a reminder of the artificially sweet beverages that infested our refrigerator and pantry. Here is one of the commercials starring Linda Evans that I think really help sell my family on Crystal Light.

If only I could get my time machine working, I would go back in time and stop Evans from making it. Who knows what kind of person, besides a bit heavier, I would have become if this never ran?