Drink Pepsi, Go to Space?

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Posted by michael on Tuesday September 17, 2002 @05:45AM from the be-like-mike dept.

Kayaker writes "According to an article on AdAge.com, Pepsi is considering a new promotion contest that would include a ride on the Russian Soyuz space taxi. Maybe Pepsi is better than Coke?"

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Does pepsi keep their promises? by lingqi · 2002-09-17 05:48 · Score: 5, Interesting

what happened to tha harrier jet they promised to the pepsi drinkers a little while back? it was supposed to be a bargain (if you bought 10 million dollars worth of pepsi, i think), but i don't remember if anyone actually got it.

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My life in the land of the rising sun.
1. Re:Does pepsi keep their promises? by unicron · 2002-09-17 05:50 · Score: 3, Interesting
  
  They actually gave it to him, but it was completely stripped. No engines or electronics, and obviously no weaponry. It was basically a metal shell in the shape of a harrier, and he also had to sign something saying he would keep it at a local airfield. I'm almost sure he ended up selling it for scrap metal.
  
  --
  Finally, math books without any of that base 6 crap in them.
2. Re:Does pepsi keep their promises? by delfstrom · 2002-09-17 05:53 · Score: 5, Informative
  
  The full true story of the Harrier jet is on the Urban Legends refrence pages at http://www.snopes.com/business/deals/pepsijet.htm
  "Enter John Leonard, a 21-year-old business student. Upon seeing that commercial and discovering he could purchase individual Pepsi points from the company for 10 each, he set about to get himself a Harrier at an unbelievable bargain rate.
  
  On 28 March 1996, Leonard forked over 15 original points plus a check for $700,008.50 raised from five investors for the remaining 6,999,985 points "plus shipping and handling" and demanded his jet. Pepsi laughed off the claim, pointing out the Harrier had never been offered in the Pepsi Points catalogue and was just in the commercial to provide a humorous completion to the piece."
  
  In August 1999, the New York judge upheld Pepsi's case. "No objective person could reasonably have concluded that the commercial actually offered consumers a Harrier jet," U.S. District Judge Kimba Wood said.
3. Re:Does pepsi keep their promises? by Galvatron · 2002-09-17 06:00 · Score: 4, Informative
  
  No, actually, the military said those would be the only conditions under which they would sell one. Pepsi won the case, so they didn't have to give the guy anything. If they had lost, yeah, something like that probably would have happened.
  
  --
  "The question of whether a computer can think is no more interesting than that of whether a submarine can swim" -EWD
4. Re:Does pepsi keep their promises? by Rick+the+Red · 2002-09-17 06:06 · Score: 4, Insightful
  
  Exactly. Pepsi does NOT keep their promises. If "No objective person could reasonably have concluded that the commercial actually offered consumers a Harrier jet," then why should any objective person reasonably conclude that they are actually offering consumers a ride into space? There are too many variables outside Pepsi's control, including the health of the winner.
  This is Yet Another Pepsi Scam, just like their ads showing people dating Britney because they drink Pepsi's drek.
  
  --
  If all this should have a reason, we would be the last to know.
5. Re:Does pepsi keep their promises? by torinth · 2002-09-17 06:18 · Score: 5, Funny
  
  Bart ended up getting the elephant but decided to give it up in the end, returning the family to the status quo for next week.
6. Re:Does pepsi keep their promises? by Tablizer · 2002-09-17 06:19 · Score: 3, Funny
  
  This is Yet Another Pepsi Scam, just like their ads showing people dating Britney because they drink Pepsi's drek.
  
  If I was a lawyer, I just might press for that one also.
  
  --
  Table-ized A.I.
Skyway Soap contest by cryofan2 · 2002-09-17 05:50 · Score: 3, Funny

I use Skyway Soap because.....

whatever happened to that contest, anyway?

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Sig:
Navy nuke sub lifestyle?
Let's just wait and see... by Hard_Code · 2002-09-17 05:51 · Score: 3, Insightful

When deep space exploration ramps up, it will be corporations that name everything. The IBM Stellar Sphere. The Philip Morris Galaxy. Planet Starbucks.

--

It's 10 PM. Do you know if you're un-American?
1. Re:Let's just wait and see... by vex24 · 2002-09-17 06:14 · Score: 3, Funny
  
  If you're going to cut him down, at least do it right....
  
  "I am Jack's shamelessly ripped off joke."
  
  --
  People shape laws. Not the other way around.
You couldn't get me in a Russian space ship. by stratjakt · 2002-09-17 05:58 · Score: 3, Funny

No way, no how. I don't think I'm ready to trust my life to a space program that has to cowtow to B-List celebrities to pay the rent.

Plus, I've seen too much media coverage about Russian technology in action. Think submarines, chernobyls, satellites, space stations, political ideologies.

No thanks, Pepsi. I'll take my chances with the giant slingshot I'm building in my backyard.

--
I don't need no instructions to know how to rock!!!!
Funny sidenote from AW&ST by sphealey · 2002-09-17 06:01 · Score: 3, Interesting

Saw a tidbit in Aviation Week & Space Technology last week: NASA has been fighing the idea of space tourism with every erg of its strength. No one knows the exact reasoning, but they are utterly opposed to anyone buying a ride to the ISS.
When Lance and his handlers first started getting cold feet over his ride with the Russians, NASA suddenly realized that without a tourist on board the RSA might not have enough cash on hand to launch the mission! So they quietly dropped their opposition.
Wonder what is going to happen now that Mr. Lance has checked out? Not being able to fund a resupply mission is a bit of bad news I would think. Maybe they could send 4 or 5 Progress instead and see if any hit.
sPh
nope by Jonny+Ringo · 2002-09-17 06:03 · Score: 4, Funny

Maybe Pepsi is better than Coke?

Nope, You don't order a Jack and Pepsi for a reason. And that's all I have to say.
1. Re:nope by Dynedain · 2002-09-17 06:11 · Score: 4, Interesting
  
  Um, the Jack and Coke was invented in the days when Coke actually had Cocaine in it. So a Jack and Coke was a nice (and very addicting) intoxicant.
  
  --
  I'm out of my mind right now, but feel free to leave a message.....
also - more practically by lingqi · 2002-09-17 06:04 · Score: 4, Funny

since they pay britney spears a LOT of cash, apparently. how about a "drink pepsi, get laid (by teen sensation)" promotion.

only THEN, will pepsi be better than coke. and only until you see the "morning after" spears.

--
My life in the land of the rising sun.
1. Re:also - more practically by vex24 · 2002-09-17 06:06 · Score: 3, Funny
  
  Better yet... how about a rendez-vous with Britney in space. Not that gravity has had any effect on her so far, but why risk it?
  
  --
  People shape laws. Not the other way around.
Then have your soda OPEN SOURCE! by mekkab · 2002-09-17 06:06 · Score: 3, Informative

As usual there is an open source answer to these corporate theives!

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In the future, I would want to not be isolated from my friends in the Space Station.
1. Re:Then have your soda OPEN SOURCE! by philovivero · 2002-09-17 06:36 · Score: 3, Interesting
  
  You think Opencola is an Open Source answer to the corporate theives? You really think so? Relevent Quote from the page:
  Thank you for your interest in Opencola. The Opencola soft drink formula was a time-limited marketing promotion that ran publicly until 2001 in support of the company's introductory open source product offering. Opencola has since changed its strategic direction and is now focusing its core business on developing a proprietary distributed content search application.
  Any other Open Source Colas out there? On the bright side, if you act fast, you can download the PDF of making Open Cola now, and maybe someone can fork the project.
  
  --
  fifth sigma, inc.
Talk about the wrong market... by Zathrus · 2002-09-17 06:14 · Score: 5, Insightful

Does it strike anyone else that the people least likely to be fit enough to travel to space are also the ones who guzzle tons of soft drinks?

And yes, I almost certainly fit into that group too.
Re:I'd rather... by xSauronx · 2002-09-17 06:16 · Score: 3, Funny

id rather have a coke and stay on earth i dont even like roller coasters :(

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By and large, language is a tool for concealing the truth. -- George Carlin
Ironically... by cascino · 2002-09-17 06:22 · Score: 3, Funny

I recall early NASA attempts to bring soda into space. Evidently, straight up carbonated beverages will make the average human very sick in zero-G.
I wonder if you'll hear about that in the Pepsi commercials...
Lawsuit waiting to happen by goldspider · 2002-09-17 06:26 · Score: 4, Funny

I'm just waiting for some obese computer geek (nobody here, right?) who buys soda by the case win this thing, be unable to pass the physical requirements for the rigors of space travel, and then turn around and sue Pepsi for the $20 mil that they didn't have to pay Russia.

It could be kind of humorous, actually, the kind of people who will think they're cut out for space flight just because they drink soda.

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"Ask not what your country can do for you." --John F. Kennedy
Cola Jitters by doublem · 2002-09-17 06:35 · Score: 3, Funny

OK, so if I switch from Red Bull, Bawls, Whoopass and Skyrocket Syrup to Pepsi, I would have to drink...

(Quick Math)

245 cans a day to keep up my caffeine intake.

I think that will give me an edge.

Space, Here I Come!

--
"Live Free or Die." Don't like it? Then keep out of the USA