I actually think it's a great decision if I compare to what most businesses have been doing lately. Low-cost marketing. Make up a few batches of some sauce and send it to a dozen ballparks and pay a few small kickbacks to guys like Chestnut. Now they've got a bunch of publicity for Pepsi in the news and not in the Bud Light way. No one is going to boycott over some Pepsi flavored bbq sauce.
That is literally what Bud Light tried by giving those special cans to 'influencers'. They thought it was a cheap way to market and...well look what happened.
This isn't really good publicity for a company like Pepsi, that old adage 'there's no such thing as bad publicity' was proven false years ago. Everyone knows Pepsi, but branching into something totally unique has driven major businesses into the trash can.
Remember when Dairy Queen tried to become full service instead of just ice cream? It is super rare to see a company as large as Pepsico shift gears and introduce totally unique offerings like this.
If their goal was a 'low cost marketing campaign' to garner outrage they certainly accomplished that, but that serves no advantage for a company that everyone already knows.
It's just a stunt though. They aren't shifting gears and going after "big sauce" Heinz or something. They aren't even trying to sell it, its just something they sent to some ballparks for hot dog customers to use and so they could put stuff like this on the internet and get some reaction.
This just reminds me of the 90s and early 00s where gimmick products were abundant, and are often now looked back on fondly with nostalgia regardless of how fucking terrible those products actually were. Hell, it hardly ever really stopped either, since McDonalds made Quarter Pounder themed candles only 3 years ago. It's a gimmick to get people talking. "Man, isn't it crazy what Company Y did with that cuh-razy and out there product? Sure is nuts! Hahaha". That's it. That's the depth here.
This marketing is infinitely more likeable, both in the moment and after the moment, than anything that is pushing agenda crap. Bud Light faced backlash because it was clear they were trying to hasten the forgetting of their very recent fuckup from recent memory. Everyone could tell that was damage control. Is this damage control? No. It's a silly gimmick. Sometimes a spade is a spade, and unless there is more information that shows there is something else behind or attached to this, that's all it should really be seen as.
The company said the “vibrant citrus blend” of the cola will enhance “the bright and tangy characteristics of ketchup,” therefore “offsetting the smokiness of the hot dog.”
The company said in a statement, “Pepsi is so confident that hot dogs are #BetterWithPepsi, the brand is taking hot dog enjoyment to the next level with Pepsi Colachup, giving fans the chance to add even more of the iconic sweet, citrusy taste of a crisp, refreshing Pepsi-Cola directly onto their hot dog.”
My current theory is that we are seeing the first wave of affirmative action hires hit EVP level so we're going to see a flood of really terrible decisions get pushed through at the corporate level.
I've never seen such incredibly poor decision making among major companies in my entire life.
Gaurantee this is more of a boomer move.. a boomer saw something viral like 1 year ago and decides to copy it. Its like NFTs.. NFTs were hot for 1 month, but ceos and companies were still pushing NFT.
even dumber, since when does pepsi have a "vibrant citrus blend"? last i checked, it's just water, sugar, phosphoric acid, kola nut extract, carbonation, and more preservatives. or are they now saying that sodium benzoate is an all natural citrus blend?
i do think you're right on the money though... these dumbass diversity hires just killed 5 people at oceangate, including the CEO. now they're making pepsi flavored ketchup. snore.
It's like someone with a 90 IQ read about the fact that ketchup can be made with mushrooms or fruit, and was like "WE CAN MAKE SODA KETCHUP! WE CAN CALL IT... COLAKETCHUP! COLACHUP!"
You know... On one hand, what amount of absolute retardation is required to go "you know what? People eat hot dogs and drink cola, so why not save a step and dunk your hot dog into your cola?"
On the other... Have you seen the shit Americans eat on the daily? To paraphrase the late George Carlin, if Americans were offered sauteed raccoon's assholes on a stick, they'd buy them and eat them. This just might work.
FRIED raccoon's assholes on a stick though... that'd be a best seller. they'd call it peruvian boca fuego or some shit, and the wannabe-posh city dwellers would pay top dollar for it. meanwhile the poor people would be buying it up beer battered at walmart in the freezer section.
Worse case scenario for Pepsi doing this: they get a bunch of tiktok videos made similar to the grimace shake where people pretend to die after taking it so it's more of a funny joke.
At least they aren't supporting child abusers that dress up in rainbows, making a product like this is a meh at best.
I mean, I’d try it. I can sort of see these flavors working out together. Or maybe it’ll be like that new Spicy Sweet Chili Dorito beef jerky, that doesn’t taste anything like the chips at all, but is still pretty damn good in and of itself. Or maybe it’ll be awful, but I’d try it once.
I actually think it's a great decision if I compare to what most businesses have been doing lately. Low-cost marketing. Make up a few batches of some sauce and send it to a dozen ballparks and pay a few small kickbacks to guys like Chestnut. Now they've got a bunch of publicity for Pepsi in the news and not in the Bud Light way. No one is going to boycott over some Pepsi flavored bbq sauce.
That is literally what Bud Light tried by giving those special cans to 'influencers'. They thought it was a cheap way to market and...well look what happened.
This isn't really good publicity for a company like Pepsi, that old adage 'there's no such thing as bad publicity' was proven false years ago. Everyone knows Pepsi, but branching into something totally unique has driven major businesses into the trash can.
Remember when Dairy Queen tried to become full service instead of just ice cream? It is super rare to see a company as large as Pepsico shift gears and introduce totally unique offerings like this.
If their goal was a 'low cost marketing campaign' to garner outrage they certainly accomplished that, but that serves no advantage for a company that everyone already knows.
It's just a stunt though. They aren't shifting gears and going after "big sauce" Heinz or something. They aren't even trying to sell it, its just something they sent to some ballparks for hot dog customers to use and so they could put stuff like this on the internet and get some reaction.
This just reminds me of the 90s and early 00s where gimmick products were abundant, and are often now looked back on fondly with nostalgia regardless of how fucking terrible those products actually were. Hell, it hardly ever really stopped either, since McDonalds made Quarter Pounder themed candles only 3 years ago. It's a gimmick to get people talking. "Man, isn't it crazy what Company Y did with that cuh-razy and out there product? Sure is nuts! Hahaha". That's it. That's the depth here.
This marketing is infinitely more likeable, both in the moment and after the moment, than anything that is pushing agenda crap. Bud Light faced backlash because it was clear they were trying to hasten the forgetting of their very recent fuckup from recent memory. Everyone could tell that was damage control. Is this damage control? No. It's a silly gimmick. Sometimes a spade is a spade, and unless there is more information that shows there is something else behind or attached to this, that's all it should really be seen as.
shrek ketchup
Shrekup
My current theory is that we are seeing the first wave of affirmative action hires hit EVP level so we're going to see a flood of really terrible decisions get pushed through at the corporate level.
I've never seen such incredibly poor decision making among major companies in my entire life.
Oh! I left out the NAME of this stuff.
They took cues from Pink Sauce. Does it have to be good? No, just viral.
Didn't some big company try selling weirdly colored ketchup, too? Like green or purple?
Yes and if I recall that was one of the worst product launches in the last few years. Green ketchup wasn't it?
I'm sorry to tell you this, but Heinz launched green ketchup 23 years ago.
Jeez that was 2000, I felt like that was more recent.
It would be good if it was made out of jalapenos.
Pink Sauce? Do you mean Ketchup and Mayo? Pink Sauce or Fry Sauce is found all over the rocky mountains.
Nope, talking about this abomination
How dare they appropriate my culture!
Gaurantee this is more of a boomer move.. a boomer saw something viral like 1 year ago and decides to copy it. Its like NFTs.. NFTs were hot for 1 month, but ceos and companies were still pushing NFT.
even dumber, since when does pepsi have a "vibrant citrus blend"? last i checked, it's just water, sugar, phosphoric acid, kola nut extract, carbonation, and more preservatives. or are they now saying that sodium benzoate is an all natural citrus blend?
i do think you're right on the money though... these dumbass diversity hires just killed 5 people at oceangate, including the CEO. now they're making pepsi flavored ketchup. snore.
It's like someone with a 90 IQ read about the fact that ketchup can be made with mushrooms or fruit, and was like "WE CAN MAKE SODA KETCHUP! WE CAN CALL IT... COLAKETCHUP! COLACHUP!"
Original pre-1776 ketchups were made from mushrooms and fermented fish because the Brits thought tomatoes were poisonous.
More garum, please!
Another food history geek? There are braces of us, braces!
And it's odd that every Asian and European culture developed some sort of fermented fish sauce.
To be faaaaaaaaiiiiiir, up until about 1800 or so, everyone thought tomatoes were poisonous.
I’ll reserve judgment on how anything tastes until I try it, but god damn “Colachup” is terrible. Like, WOW.
If it was Dr Pepper I might consider it.
So it's basically piss?
Mountain Dewritos.
with cheetoes mountaind dew flavor to wash it down...
You know... On one hand, what amount of absolute retardation is required to go "you know what? People eat hot dogs and drink cola, so why not save a step and dunk your hot dog into your cola?"
On the other... Have you seen the shit Americans eat on the daily? To paraphrase the late George Carlin, if Americans were offered sauteed raccoon's assholes on a stick, they'd buy them and eat them. This just might work.
oh hell nah
FRIED raccoon's assholes on a stick though... that'd be a best seller. they'd call it peruvian boca fuego or some shit, and the wannabe-posh city dwellers would pay top dollar for it. meanwhile the poor people would be buying it up beer battered at walmart in the freezer section.
Worse case scenario for Pepsi doing this: they get a bunch of tiktok videos made similar to the grimace shake where people pretend to die after taking it so it's more of a funny joke.
At least they aren't supporting child abusers that dress up in rainbows, making a product like this is a meh at best.
It looks like they mixed blood and shit.
I mean, I’d try it. I can sort of see these flavors working out together. Or maybe it’ll be like that new Spicy Sweet Chili Dorito beef jerky, that doesn’t taste anything like the chips at all, but is still pretty damn good in and of itself. Or maybe it’ll be awful, but I’d try it once.
I doubt it tastes anything like pepsi, probably just sweet bbq sauce. Pepsi glazed hams are a common thing in the southern US.
Can't be any worse than fucking Pepsi Blue.