Dr Pepper Commercial In this 1960s television commercial for Dr Pepper, produced by Dallas-based firm Visual Presentations, Dick Clark promotes an alternative to a refreshing, icy Dr Pepper with the recipe for the soft drink served hot with a slice of lemon. Initially called a "Waco," after the city in which it was created, Dr Pepper was developed in 1885 by Charles Alderton, a pharmacist at Morrison's Old Corner Drug Store.