Did sales worldwide of Kool Aid go up or down after the mass suicide
in Jamestown, Guyana with Kool Aid?

Greetings Jaana,
While Kool-Aid was not used in the Jonestown massacre, as many say,
this news did play havoc on the sales of Kool-Aid. I have just this
one source that is anecdotal in nature, but I would assume it is true:

Insound.com - "The Causey Way" (mentions Kool Aid briefly, saying that
sales went down in 1978-80)
http://www.insound.com/zinestand/rsa/feature.cfm?aid=4125


The 80's ad campaign with the Kool Aid Man mascot was Kool-Aid's
attempt to get itself back in good condition. It worked, as I assume,
having drank much Kool-Aid myself in the 80's (and I'm still alive,
LOL).

Kool Aid Facts and Everything2.net
http://www.everything2.net/index.pl?node=kool-aid

In case you're wondering, I could find no sales figures for Kool-Aid
during that time on the Net... perhaps it was already all over the
news then.

Another posting of the Kool-Aid FAQ (there are several postings around
the Internet) which states what Pinkfreud gave
http://www.geocities.com/Colosseum/Park/2070/KOOLFAQ.HTM

Google search terms used:
Kool-aid sales jonestown
Kool-aid sales history
Kool-aid sales 1978

I hope this has been a most helpful answer. If you have any problem
with it, do please post a Request for Clarification and I shall
respond as soon as I can. Thank you.

This may be of interest:

"It is a popular misconception that 900 followers of cult leader Jim
Jones committed suicide by drinking Grape Kool-Aid laced with cyanide
at their commune in Jonestown Guyana in the late 1970's. This is not
true. The followers of Jones actually drank cyanide laced Flavor-Aid,
a cheap imitation of Kool-Aid. The Flavor-Aid flavor they consumed was
grape. Therefore, Kool-Aid played no part in this tragedy."

http://www.heavybit.com/blog/archive/2002_07_14_index.html