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Drink Pepsi, Go to Space?

Posted by michael on 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?"

10 of 336 comments (clear)

  1. Does pepsi keep their promises? by lingqi · · 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.

    --

    My life in the land of the rising sun.

    1. Re:Does pepsi keep their promises? by delfstrom · · 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.
    2. Re:Does pepsi keep their promises? by Galvatron · · 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
    3. Re:Does pepsi keep their promises? by Rick+the+Red · · 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.
    4. Re:Does pepsi keep their promises? by torinth · · 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.

  2. nope by Jonny+Ringo · · 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 · · 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.....
  3. also - more practically by lingqi · · 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.

  4. Talk about the wrong market... by Zathrus · · 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.

  5. Lawsuit waiting to happen by goldspider · · 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.

    --
    "Ask not what your country can do for you." --John F. Kennedy