Member-only story
When Pepsi Was Sued For Not Giving A College Student A Fighter Jet
The soft drink giant was taken to court years ago by a young man convinced he was able to buy an aircraft from them at a steep discount
Pepsi is one of the most recognized brands around the world. Known best for their popular cola soda (and assortment of other beverages like Mountain Dew and other business ventures like Lays, Doritos and Quaker), they are one of the largest and most influential companies in the world. To get so large they have always had to be on the cutting edge of advertising and marketing, which is viewed by a vast audience, who sometimes have tried to hold them to what they are seeing quite literally. In particular, they were taken to court 25 years ago for their refusal to deliver a real life fighter jet to a college student after he was convinced he had won one through one of their promotions.
War History Online’s Jesse Beckett detailed the curious case of the Pepsi fighter jet that led to a lawsuit. It all began during the 1990s, when Pepsi ran a popular promotion called Pepsi Points. Consumers could accumulate points in intervals printed on the underside of bottle caps. When enough points were obtained they could be redeemed to buy items from a company catalog. Most items were run of the mill…