1987
Can You Keep a Secret1987 is the pivotal year in Panther Corporation’s origin story: Jack Harper and Pete Laidler acquired an ailing soft-drinks company, transformed its product and identity, and established the marketing legacy associated with Panther Cola.
The Company’s Origin Story
The account identifies 1987 as the year that business partners Jack Harper and Pete Laidler bought the struggling Zoot soft-drinks company. It describes the pair as young and dynamic, framing the acquisition as the beginning of a decisive transformation rather than simply a change of ownership.
They repackaged Zootacola as Panther Cola and devised the slogan “Don't Pause.” In the company history summarized for publicity, those changes are credited with making marketing history and establishing the recognizable brand identity that followed.
A Repeated Public Narrative
The year’s significance is conveyed through the polished corporate blurb that Emma Corrigan has typed many times. Her familiarity with its wording shows how thoroughly the 1987 account has been circulated as part of Panther Corporation’s public image. The passage presents the year both as a specific point of origin—the acquisition and rebranding—and as a compact origin myth built around entrepreneurial partners, a rescued product, and a memorable slogan.
