13996: CSI: IPG.

The Wall Street Journal reported on another IPG sex scandal, this one involving a former associate director at Initiative who was allegedly sexually assaulted by a former Dr Pepper client. The ex-IPG employee claims she faced retaliation after reporting the incident. Maybe IPG officials believed the Dr Pepper client was simply playing doctor. Hey, the soft drink’s current tagline reads, “The One You Crave.” Whatever. Surely the former associate director can find comfort in realizing diversity and inclusion are in the IPG DNA—which will complement any ex-client DNA she might have gathered.

9558: Win A PhD From Dr Pepper.

AdPulp spotlighted the Dr Pepper $1,000,000 Tuition Giveaway, and the ad blog remarked, “‘Dr Pepper is changing lives’ is not the kind of promotional come-on we’re used to hearing from a large packaged goods brand.” Um, it’s actually an extraordinarily common phrase uttered by nearly every large packaged goods brand, although usually to target minorities. From Coke to Pepsi, Mickey D’s to Burger King, Verizon to AT&T, State Farm to Allstate, GM to Ford, Procter & Gamble to Johnson & Johnson and more, doling out scholarship loot is a seemingly annual affair for multicultural marketers. Guess skyrocketing student debt means White kids are looking for financial assistance too. Plus, it all makes for a natural tie-in to Dr Pepper’s sponsorship of collegiate football. Ironically, AdPulp featured four videos of female tuition recipients. The irony comes when considering the recent launch of Dr Pepper Ten, hyped with a tagline that reads, “It’s Not For Women.”

9469: The Hard Facts On Soft Drinks.

The New York Daily News reported that soft drink companies are targeting marketing efforts towards minority kids. Can’t help but wonder how much of the advertising is being created by White agencies.

Soft drink makers like Coca-Cola and Dr Pepper Snapple Group target black and Hispanic teens, children: report

Big brands are capitalizing on minority youth to be their biggest buyers with multimedia campaigns in addition to traditional print, TV ads

By Joyce Chen, New York Daily News

A new study reveals truths about soft-drink manufacturers’ marketing tactics that are anything but sweet.

A recent Yale study released Monday found that soft-drink makers are targeting black and Hispanic children and teenagers in their U.S. ad campaigns.

According to the report, released by the Yale University Rudd Center for Food Policy & Obesity, black kids and teens watched 80% to 90% more ads than white children.

Hispanic teens were exposed to 99% more ads than their white counterparts.

“Our children are being assaulted by these drinks that are high in sugar and low in nutrition,” said Kelly Brownell, co-author of the report. “The companies are marketing them in highly aggressive ways.”

Coca-Cola is the parent company for popular soft drinks like Sprite and Fanta, as well as for energy drinks and juices like Odwalla and Fuze energy drink.

A big part of the increased number of thirsty viewers can be attributed to the move toward online interaction, Brownell said.

Coca-Cola, by far the most popular brand on Facebook, has more than 30 million fans, and website MyCokeRewards.com draws in millions of clicks each day.

9440: Dr Pepper Watch…?

Wonder what the Dr Pepper Ten critics will think of this headline.

9393: Be A [Male] Pepper.

From The Chicago Sun-Times…

Dr Pepper Ten: ‘It’s not for women’

By Mae Anderson

NEW YORK — Dudes don’t drink diet.

Or at least that’s the idea behind Dr Pepper Ten, a 10-calorie soft drink Dr Pepper Snapple Group is rolling out on Monday with a macho ad campaign that proclaims “It’s not for women.” The soft drink was developed after the company’s research found that men shy away from diet drinks that aren’t perceived as “manly” enough.

To appeal to men, Dr Pepper made its Ten drink 180 degrees different than Diet Dr Pepper. It has calories and sugar unlike its diet counterpart. Instead of the dainty tan bubbles on the diet can, Ten will be wrapped in gunmetal grey packaging with silver bullets. And while Diet Dr Pepper’s marketing is women-friendly, the ad campaign for Ten goes out of its way to eschew women.

For instance, there’s a Dr Pepper Ten Facebook page for men only. And TV commercials are heavy on the machismo, including one spot that shows muscular men in the jungle battling snakes and bad guys and appear to shoot lasers at each other.

“Hey ladies. Enjoying the film? Of course not. Because this is our movie and this is our soda,” a man says as he attempts to pour the soda into a glass during a bumpy ATV ride. “You can keep the romantic comedies and lady drinks. We’re good.”

Dr Pepper Ten is not the first diet soda aimed at men. (Think: Coke Zero and Pepsi Max.) But Dr Pepper Ten’s ad campaign is the first to be so overt about courting men who want to drink a soda with fewer calories.

AP