In a shocking display of Dow Jones Industrial Average cronyism, fast-food titan McDonald's Corporation (NYSE: MCD) recently announced that it will stop test sales of soft drinks made by PepsiCo Inc. (NYSE: PEP). The decision means that Coca-Cola Company (NYSE: KO) products will retain their title as the preferred beverage line of the Golden Arches.

The announcement by Mickey D's ends an experiment where the fast-food chain offered bottled Pepsi beverages, including Mountain Dew, Gatorade, and Lipton tea, to consumers in several test markets. After the apparently underwhelming response from McDonald's clientele, Pepsi spokesman Larry Jabbonsky chalked up the experience to "a great opportunity and a great learning experience."

A report in Beverage Digest says that The Coca-Cola Company (NYSE: KO) will be removing the word "Classic" from the packaging of its eponymous cola in the U.S., in order to eliminate any unwanted, old-timey associations. "Some people interpreted it like a vintage car," explained Hendrik Steckhan, president of Coke's North American carbonated business.

The "Classic" modifier was originally added in 1985, to help distinguish the company's namesake soda from the marketing disaster that was New Coke. Now, Coke is hoping to skew younger by ditching the tag from its brand, says the trade publication, since it's catering to a new generation of consumers who were just a glimmer in their parents' eye around the time of the New Coke fiasco.