Pepsi Promotion Ends With Chants of 'Pepsi Sucks'

New York Yankees Tie-In Goes Horribly Awry

Posted by Ken Wheaton on 04.17.09 @ 10:45 AM

Yankees fans who showed up for a Pepsi-sponsored promotion yesterday were none too pleased after standing in line for hours only to find out fewer tickets were being given out than promised. According to the New York Post, "Chanting 'Pepsi sucks! Pepsi sucks!' the over-caffeinated mob cracked open cans of the soft drink and poured it onto the pile of swag, sending cops racing to the scene." And there's video! Video in which an angered fan also shouts, "Drink Coca-Cola!"

Pepsi told the Post, "All we wanted to do was make fans part of the celebration, giving away free Yankee tickets and Pepsi-Cola products, but we blew it." Aw. Don't feel bad guys. So did the Yankees. On the "historic" opening day of the new Yankee Stadium, the Yanks lost 10-2. To the Indians.

UPDATE: Pepsi sent us a statement earlier: "We have renewed the ticket offer through a promotion with WFAN today. Pepsi will give away 500 regular season Yankees tickets, 250 pairs, and a coupon for a 12 pack of Pepsi Max to 250 of WFAN's listeners. The giveaway started at noon and will run through 6:30 p.m."

9 Comments

By shelleyfajans | Concord, NH April 17, 2009 04:00:07 pm:

Wasting money on a un-needed rebrand — pissing off Yankees fans who also happen to be very naturally opinionated New Yorkers, what else can Pepsi do to trash their brand while trying to promote themselves?

You guys are unbelievable!

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By mediablogdotcom | Singapore April 18, 2009 10:09:54 am:

Pepsi should have realized that in this day and age, everyone will be in for freebies.

No doubt the brand could have got a lot more mileage from the tickets by just doing an online contest.

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By Dane | Los Angeles, CA April 18, 2009 02:00:55 pm:

Pepsi cant seem to get anyting right these days. Maybe the should give away Tropicana - it's healthier.

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By CassandraR | Montreal, QC April 18, 2009 05:23:11 pm:

Pepsi also introduced Pepsi Natural, with natural sugar which is sold in the natural products isle... Awful marketing. They really take people for idiots!

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By blackburn | RICHMOND, VA April 19, 2009 01:20:42 pm:

In a lot of cases, people are idiots.

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By EP | SANTA MONICA, CA April 20, 2009 03:08:30 pm:

This is all really a big misunderstanding. Yankee fans were actually chanting A-Rod sucks! A-Rod sucks!

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By Gary | Mansfield, OH April 23, 2009 10:17:43 am:

Don't set "To the Indians" apart as if it's some sort of unusual insult. They've taken their lumps, but they've also delivered plenty of beatdowns to the Yankees (like two days after this one).

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By kmgwin | Centennial, CO April 29, 2009 12:38:36 pm:

Along with the new label, this campaign was a bad idea. They clearly were not prepared for what was going to happen on such a historic day. They are needing to re-consider many aspects of their promotion.

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By promotion123 | Arana HIills September 23, 2009 07:14:02 am:

Even when you give something away you have to make sure you get that right or face the wrath of the public. What sort of a world do we live in. OK it isn't good advertising but I guess the Pepsi word is still being used one way or another. Bad luck Pepsi.
Douglas Gregory
http://www.promotionproducts.com.au

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