Tuesday, January 13, 2009

Time For Me To Put Down the Diet Pepsi

I can no longer deny it. I am going to have to stop drinking Diet Pepsi. When the I first spotted the newest Pepsi logo, at first I thought, It looks like the Obama symbol. Followed immediately by the next thought...It just looks like the Obama symbol, to me because I am a Right Wing Nut Job. Normal people probably didn't even notice they changed logos, it was so subtle. I told myself this for about a month after the new logo was introduced, sometime around election day. Coincidence, I told myself. And Pepsi owned the red/blue half circle look first, Right? Maybe Barack Obama stole it from them? I know I was grasping....




The second time I saw the New Pepsi logo I thought it WAS the Obama symbol. On New Year's Day, as I recovered from the previous night's celebration, I was watching Fox and Friends. On the set, Clayton and the pretty blond one that fills in for Gretchen occasionally, played with a few left over balloons from the night before. The balloons were huge and had words written on them. Kinda like this...



One said "Joy" and one said "hope". But they didn't say Joy and Hope they said J-obamasymbol-l and H-obamasymbol-pe. I thought only in NYC do they drop Obama balloons. Thus I spent the next few moments cursing at the television. Then I thought, why are they dropping Obama balloons, don't they know the campaign's over, He Won. At this point I yelled to my husband, "They found something to spend the extra campaign money on...guess they had to use the money by the end of 2008." I found myself very amusing. I was less amused a few days later, however,after watching one of their new hippie dippie commercials featuring just those words, spelled just that way. I realized it was The New Pepsi logo on those Balloons. I later read online were part of Pepsi's Ode to Joy 09campaign. I choose to think Pepsi was just trying to cheer everybody up, it's been a rough couple of months...I continued to purchase Diet Pepsi as usual.

I've come under fire recently from conservative friends who know about my addiction to Diet Pepsi. "How do you look into your refrigerator, and just see All of them?" One asked about my 24 pack a week habit. I defended Pepsi, saying changing a logo is not something you do lightly and it was probably in design long before Obama created the creepiest symbol in this new century. And I would say, "it's not really that much different than the old logo." But secretly I wondered... Is Pepsi trying to 'draft' off of Obama's popularity with the most sot after demographic in all of America 18-34 year olds? Or is Pepsi running a PR campaign for Barack Obama?



But today, I came across something via a friend on twitter, that well, let's just say I think I just bought my last Diet Pepsi.

Watch:



Isn't it just the Awesomest! Obama's going to "Refresh the Nation"! OMG! Does anyone remember Pepsi asking us to write President Bush after 9/11 and Thank him for lifting this Nation out of the ashes? But this guy hasn't even taken office yet and they have rebranded their Primary product lines with HIS symbol. This is too much. Even for me. (Is there a 12 step program for Diet Pepsi?) I have a few left in the fridge, so I'm sitting here drinking one now, I've put it in a glass, so as to not have to look directly into the symbol.

Let me just say, I think it's brilliant marketing by Pepsi and it might even work for them. Obama followers will buy anything with his face on it, so why not "The Symbol". Lord knows there are enough of them to shift market share. So it's probably a good move for Pepsi. I just can't support it. So alas, I must stop the denial and put down the Diet Pepsi. Some are supporting a boycott, according to The Advocate, the American Family Association was already boycotting Pepsi for donations to a gay cause. Me, I'm not much for mass boycotting. I'm way too much of a Fan of Individual Choice to participate in mass anything. I'm a firm believer in voting with your money on a daily basis, It's the American Way. Everybody gets to make a Choice and this member of the old "New Generation" will be choosing to drink Water until Pepsi changes the logo or I run out of Willpower.

12 comments:

delete said...

I too was astounded on or about New Year's Eve when I saw the new Pepsi spots. It's not as though they're trying to hide their intention to ride the President's coattails with their marketing strategy - it's unabashed and gushing, emphasizing "Aloha" (Obama's home state greeting) and "Hope," one of his core words.

Still, Pepsi has long been "the choice of a new generation," or rather, an alternative to Coca-Cola. Despite the resemblance, the new design looks like future logos in a low-budget 1980s sci-fi movie, which is actually pretty cool - a combo art deco and 1960s letterhead.

It also puts PepsiCo's scruples on the stand, as this is the first time in my memory that a company has leveraged the success of a politician in their campaign. And, considering the many crises of 2008 and rather bleak outlook of 2009, lifestyle is an angle companies cannot use. We'll buy a Sham-Wow, but not a time share, know what I mean?

Still, the Obama honeymoon rages on, and this is just evidence to that. Ask both left and right to be honest and many of them no doubt circled Jan. 20, 2009 as a good day, the end of a very tumultuous era in American history; no matter what you think of the current administration, they were at the helm when a lot of bad things went down, and history is beginning to show that there were severe lapses in judgment.

I'm trying to be objective here, but the country did speak rather loudly on Election Day, and it wasn't to say no to John McCain and Sarah Palin - it was to say NO to Bush/Cheney. The fact that Barack Obama went beyond embodying change and made history was just a bonus to those who voted for him, present company included.

If I go on any longer, this will be longer than your blog post. From what I've read, you and I do not agree politically, but I hope you consider my comments, as they won't come at you with "so-and-so sucks, Obama-is-the-Messiah" attitude.

But I agree with you: Pepsi's redesign shows questionable ethics. I mean, what if Obama goofs up and is out in one term? Not only will they permanent lose the 24 units a week to you - they'll lose those who put their faith in Obama.

Although I believe the above will not happen. Even conservatives would agree that a policy nerd like Bill Clinton minus the rampant infidelities and business dealings would be good for our country. And now we have that.

John said...

Two Words: Coke Zero

then again, I never could stand Pepsi - now I have even more reason to hold that grudge ;)

Anonymous said...

I just read your Pepsi post and watched THAT video (Pepsi - Yuck!). Did you also note all the Arafat-style scarves? That aspect was not at all subliminal....I guess Pepsi refreshes the intifada.
I am old, prefer Coke and would be happy to give up all soda (which I love) 4ever if we could just unload Obama. That's my great hope! ...(water/ice tea not that bad instead....)

robert verdi said...

I am a diet coke man myself.

Anonymous said...

It's "sought" after, not "sot."

Biased Girl said...

Tom-
I will allow these long comments to stand since I was unable to moderate for the last several days. But in the future please try and remain under 8 paragraphs or I will delete your message and re-post an edited version containing what I consider relevent.

I reject your premise that we all want another Version of Bill Clinton. He was a lousy president. Read tomorrow to find out how many more Military Deaths took place during Clinton's term than Bush 43. As for Obama's Victory, Yep he won, Liberals and Millions of Un-informed Voted for him. Now the Rest of Us are stuck with the consequences. Thanks!

And to the English teacher that wanted to correct my spelling. Thanks! You are even better than Spell Check! Next time be sure to leave your name, so I can thank you personally. :)

delete said...

I'll keep it brief(er). Of course we don't want Bill Clinton, but a policy nerd LIKE Bill Clinton, leading us.

Clinton was a Rhodes Scholar. Obama was president of Harvard Law Review. Good students. Nerds. They read more than eight paragraphs - they read to the end of the book.

Reagan didn't fully understand politics. G.H.W. Bush was head of the CIA but didn't understand the plurality of a country as large as ours. dubya is an incompetent failed businessman who turned the budget surplus Clinton left into the largest debt in our history.

Clinton wasn't a lousy president. He was a lousy husband. When you reverse that paradigm, and put a lousy president, but good husband, in place, you have the last eight years.

For someone to want that would be insanity... or require a large number of people to be fooled by corporatized media.

Biased Girl said...

Talk about being fooled by the Media. Tom put down the Kool-Aid.

Clinton was a Lousy President And a Lousy Husband. That is a FACT. We have the evidence to prove both.

Terrorism flourished under his watch. The housing crisis we face today was set in motion by his pandering to ACORN and other special interest groups. The Path to 9/11 went right through the Clinton White House.

You won't get me to defend Bush 41. But when you suggest that Reagan didn't "understand politics", it just shows your ignorance.

Anonymous said...

Tom

The 'budget surplus' that you speak of was on projected tax revenue assuming that the economy would continue. The Internet Bubble blew the surplus away. Do realize that 'projected' Federal surpluses are different than 'actual'. An issue on all levels of govt is that our elected officials do not realize the swings in the economy.
You are drinking the Kool-Aid. Go back and read the prupose of this blog. It is called "With Bias" for a reason... that the Mainstream Media is more of a propaganda machine than an un-corrupted voice of reason.

R

Anonymous said...

If you turn the the pepsi can around it says that Obama is dead kida wierd

Anonymous said...

I drank Coke, original until they changed it forever in the 80's. As Coke left me, I left there product line and changed to Pepsi.

I drink anywhere from 2 to 4 liters per day of Diet Pepsi. If you have stock sell, because I will be dropping them. Maybe Pepsi did this to ride coat tails or maybe an attempt to get a bigger portion of the bail out. Either way I am gone as a customer.

It appears that Pepsi is trying to become as biased as the media. Why did the media print negative stories about GWB for spending $42 million on his inaguration and the praise Barak Husein Obama for spending $150 million during the worst economic times since the Great Depression?

How can a self proclaimed drug user take the post of President, when city's and States refuse to hire people with Cocaine use in their past. Wake Up America, before we become another has been.

Anonymous said...

Wow. I just stumbled on your blog. I was familiar with the Pepsi logo change and today for the first time I saw the pink diet Pepsi case with the word hope. Like you, I am an addict. I was willing to overlook the logo, but the word hope is way too coincidental. How is your recovery going? Mine has yet to start. I plan to drink the 3 cases I just bought on sale, and then not buy any more.
Great post.