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In the summer of 1995, PepsiCo launched a seemingly ordinary advertisement, but inadvertently planted a time bomb. In the final scene of the commercial, a fighter jet streaks across the sky with an incredible promise: "Collect 7 million points and you can own this $30 million fighter."
This sentence was originally meant to be a joke, but it was taken seriously by a college student named John Leonard. With amazing perseverance and intelligence, he really collected 7 million points.
When he came to Pepsi to redeem it in high spirits, he was refused.
This seemingly absurd request not only put Pepsi in an embarrassing position, but also uncovered the complex history of Coke brand competition. How can a simple advertising slogan evolve into a legal battle that lasts for three years? This story is far more ups and downs than imagined, full of unexpected twists.
The birth of Coca-Cola was a wonderful accident. In 1886, pharmacist John Pemberton was working on a painkiller when his assistant accidentally poured soda into the formula.
This mistake unexpectedly gave rise to a unique drink that quickly became popular across the country. The Coca-Cola Company came into being, opening a brilliant chapter in business.
The company's strict secrecy of the formula adds to the mystery. Even partners can only obtain syrup from the head office, mix it proportionally, and sell it. This mystery sparked consumer curiosity and made Coca-Cola unique in the market.
However, the rise of PepsiCo has brought challenges to this dominant situation. Despite repeated defeats in the early days and even bankruptcy in 1923 due to poor decision-making, Pepsi did not disappear.
In 1931, the company took a turn for the better and re-emerged as a leader in the beverage industry.
The new leadership team has adopted a bold pricing strategy. They adjusted the price of PepsiCo to half that of Coca-Cola, and put forward the advertising slogan "One investment, double the return".
This initiative has won the favor of a large number of consumers, especially low-income groups, during the economic downturn.
The outbreak of World War II became a turning point for Coca-Cola. In order to control military spending, the U.S. government has imposed a limit on the price of Coca-Cola. However, Coca-Cola has become a necessity in the military.
According to statistics, the U.S. military consumed a staggering 10 billion bottles of Coca-Cola during World War II. This has not only created a huge fortune for the company, but also pushed its brand reputation to the global stage.
After the war, the competition between the two companies extended to the international market. Coca-Cola's attempts to enter the Soviet market, which had a huge population, were hampered by the political environment of the Cold War. A marshal of the Soviet Union was full of praise for Coca-Cola, but the company ultimately failed to get his wish.
In contrast, Pepsi seized a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. In 1959, during Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev's visit to the United States, Pepsi skillfully arranged for him to taste his own products.
The scene was captured by the media, and the photo quickly made it to the front pages of major newspapers around the world. With the help of Khrushchev's influence, Pepsi successfully entered the Soviet market and achieved a new high in sales.
However, the development of Pepsi in the USSR was not all smooth sailing. Local consumers did not see Coke as a necessity, and sales were not as good as expected due to poor economic conditions.
In order to pay for the goods on time, the USSR even used armament supplies as collateral. This makes Pepsi the first beverage company in history to possess military weapons, which is a rarity.
This battle of the century fully demonstrated the wisdom and resilience of both companies. It not only shaped the pattern of the global beverage industry, but also witnessed the changes in international politics and economy in the 20th century.
The competition between Coca-Cola and Pepsi is much more than just a drink, but a business legend that crosses borders.
As times change, so does the competition between Coca-Cola and Pepsi. In the 80s of the 20th century, the contest between the two giants shifted from a simple price war to a more intense creative marketing showdown.
PepsiCo took the lead and launched a series of ads with the theme of "Challenge". These advertisements cleverly exploit the psychology of young people who seek excitement and novelty, and have successfully attracted the attention of a large number of consumers.
As a result, Coca-Cola's sales were hit like never before, and it fell into decline for a while.
In the face of Pepsi's fierce offensive, Coca-Cola did not sit still. They quickly launched a series of advertisements featuring "New Coke" in an attempt to redefine the brand image and attract more young consumers.
The comeback paid off, not only reversing the decline in sales but also re-establishing the brand's market position.
Since then, the two companies have been catching up with each other in terms of advertising creativity, and have done their best to create attractive and innovative works. This war without gunpowder has not only promoted the development of the advertising industry, but also brought consumers one visual feast after another.
However, an ad launched by PepsiCo in 1995 completely turned the landscape of this marketing war upside down. The ad features a group of handsome teenagers, and ends with a fighter jet soaring into the sky.
The creativity is bold and unique, and it instantly grabs the audience's attention. But what really caused an uproar was the seemingly joking promise at the end of the ad: "If you accumulate 7,000,000 points, you can own a fighter."
PepsiCo originally used the slogan as an eye-catching gimmick, believing that 7,000,000 points was a nearly unattainable number.
They underestimated the potential impact of this promise, and they did not expect anyone to take it seriously.
After this advertisement aired, it did achieve remarkable results in a short period of time. The market share has increased significantly, and the company's top management is ecstatic. However, they don't realize that this seemingly fanciful promise is quietly planting a time bomb.
While Pepsi was basking in the joy of marketing success, a college student named John Leonard became intrigued by this "impossible task".
The emergence of this young man turned this marketing battle, which was originally just a creative showdown, into an unexpected legal battle, and also brought an unprecedented crisis to Pepsi.
John Leonard, an ordinary student at an American business school, embarks on an unusual adventure because of a Pepsi commercial. While others joked about the promise of "7 million points for fighter jets" in the advertisement, John keenly smelled the business opportunities involved.
As a business school student, John began with rigorous costing. He checked the information and learned that the advertisement showed a Harrier fighter jet with a market value of up to $300 million.
And to get 7 million points, 7 million cans of Pepsi need to be purchased, and the total cost is about $700,000. While this figure is undoubtedly astronomical for a college student, it is still quite an attractive investment compared to the potential return of $300 million.
However, planning alone is not enough. John's first challenge was how to raise $700,000 in start-up capital. He showed excellent business acumen and decided to seek outside investment.
Through his efforts, John was able to convince five investors to raise the required $700,000.
Once the funding problem was solved, the next challenge began: how to accumulate 7 million points in a limited time? John knew that it was impossible to consume 7 million cans of Coke on his own.
He needed a more efficient solution.
After much deliberation, John came up with an innovative approach: to acquire points from other Pepsi-loving consumers. The idea may seem simple, but it can be challenging to execute.
John embarks on a point-collecting journey across the United States.
The process was far more arduous than expected. John needs to convince countless strangers, explain his plans, and acquire their points at a reasonable price. He has traveled the streets of the United States, from bustling cities to remote villages, and has not missed any possible opportunity.
This frenzied points collection operation lasted for a whole year. John spent an unimaginable amount of time and energy, and in the face of all kinds of doubts and ridicule, he always remained steadfast in his faith.
Finally, at the last minute before the end of the event, John managed to collect all the required points.
When John stood in front of Pepsi with 7 million points in hand, his eyes gleamed with victory. However, it doesn't occur to him that the real challenge has just begun.
This young man's persistence and creativity not only challenged the integrity of a multinational company, but also won a protracted legal battle for himself.
John Leonard's story shows how an ordinary student uses wisdom and perseverance to turn a seemingly impossible task into reality. His actions are not only a keen grasp of business opportunities, but also a severe test of corporate integrity.
In 1996, with 7 million points he had saved so hard, John Leonard walked into PepsiCo with great expectations. However, what awaits him is not an imaginary fighter, but the confusion and rejection of the company's top brass.
PepsiCo's management insisted that the promised promise in the advertisement was just an exaggerated joke and had no obligation to actually deliver on it.
This unexpected response left John disappointed and angry. A year's hard work, $700,000 investment, is this just going down the drain? Unwilling, John decided to defend his rights and interests through legal means, thus starting a legal battle that lasted for three years.
During the lengthy course of the proceedings, the parties disagreed. John insisted that since PepsiCo had explicitly promised in its ad the possibility of redeeming points for fighter jets, that promise should be fulfilled.
PepsiCo, on the other hand, argued that the representation in the advertisement was just an exaggerated marketing ploy and should not be regarded as a legally binding commitment.
This lawsuit has aroused widespread public concern and triggered people's in-depth thinking about the integrity of advertising. In court, the lawyers of both sides engaged in heated debates, focusing on the legal effect of advertising slogans, corporate liability and other issues.
After three years of tug-of-war, the court finally reached a compromise ruling: PepsiCo needed to compensate John in full for the $700,000 he paid, but not to provide fighter jets.
The court found that despite the misleading nature of PepsiCo's advertising, the deal was impossible from the start, given that U.S. law prohibits private possession of military fighter jets.
The lawsuit ended in settlement, but the ripple effects it had were far from over. It not only changed the trajectory of John Leonard's life, but also brought a huge reputational crisis to PepsiCo, and sounded the alarm bell for the entire advertising industry.
Although the curtain has come down on this protracted lawsuit, the impact on PepsiCo is far from over. The public expressed strong dissatisfaction with PepsiCo's irresponsible behavior, and many consumers began to spontaneously boycott the once-beloved brand.
For a time, PepsiCo's sales fell sharply, and its market share shrank sharply.
However, declining sales are not the most serious problem. The brand reputation that the company has built up over the years has suffered heavily in this turmoil. Although PepsiCo quickly took a series of crisis public relations measures, the effect was not significant, and consumer trust was difficult to restore for a while.
At the same time, PepsiCo's main competitor, Coca-Cola, seized the opportunity and quickly expanded its market share. Many consumers who had been loyal to PepsiCo have switched to Coca-Cola, making a significant difference in the balance of power between the two brands.
This incident sparked strong repercussions throughout the advertising industry and became a profound lesson. It highlights the importance of advertising integrity and the fact that businesses should be held accountable for every ad they publish.
While pursuing creativity and engagement, advertising content must be based on facts and integrity.
This case has led to a more accountable and transparent advertising culture. Many companies are starting to revisit their advertising strategies to make sure there are no similar controversies.
Regulators have also stepped up their grip on exaggerated and misleading advertising.
Although this advertisement caused a huge loss to PepsiCo, in the long run, it sounded the alarm bell for the entire industry and promoted the development of a healthier and more honest direction for the advertising industry.
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