SAY IT ISN’T SO! DR. PEPPER BANS WOMEN

How does one get to be the executive vice president of marketing for a major beverage company and approve a marketing program with a tagline, “It’s Not for Women?” Who excludes 51 percent of the population in the sales model?  According to Forbes, Jim Trebilcock is in his mid-fifties, old enough to know better, but perhaps too old to understand the power of social media. The Associated Press reported the Dr Pepper TEN campaign, adding that “A Facebook page for the drink contains an application that allows it to exclude women from viewing content, which includes games and videos aimed at being “manly.” For instance, there’s a shooting gallery where you shoot things like high heels and lipstick, for example. There is also a “man quiz” with questions on activities like fishing and hunting.”

Really?  Do you think Trebilcock is working for Coke?  He claims, “The drink and marketing were tested in six different markets across the country before being rolled out nationally, and women weren’t offended, he said. In fact, about 40 percent of people who have tried the soda so far are women.”

But have the women who tried the soda seen the ad and the Facebook shooting gallery?  Like most poorly executed ads, Trebilcock says the off color campaign is meant to encourage conversation.  I will admit that it encourages conversation, but I don’t think it will sell Dr Pepper TEN.  In fact, on another note, does that teal blue color emote machismo?  In fact, according to this study, “Men are less likely to respond favorably to other feminine favorites such as lavender and turquoise.”  That’s unfortunate, because it appears that the colors fall right about in line with lavender and turquoise.

Treibilcock claims his research shows that “”Women get the joke.”

I didn’t realize it was a joke, but I still don’t get it.  Is the joke on women or the company that owns Dr Pepper TEN?

I give the campaign a week.  Count on a company landing page that apologizes and writes about gender equality.  I expect it will be shoved into the archives with the California Milk Board’s “joke campaign” about PMS and Summer’s Eve’s commercials using a talking vagina.

 

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