Dr Pepper Responds to Consumers Regarding its Patriot Can [missing "Under God?"]

Dr Pepper/Seven Up, Inc - corporate website ^ | Dr Pepper/Seven Up, Inc

[RonDog]

Dr Pepper Responds to Consumers
Regarding its Patriot Can

A Note to Dr Pepper Consumers:

In recent days, several news media outlets in the country have reported on a special edition Dr Pepper can that was created to show support for the patriotic fervor that has been sweeping America since the tragic events of Sept. 11, 2001, and to show the world that we are a united nation of people who place a high value upon freedom. 

Much of the information being circulated on this subject is incomplete or inaccurate.  Here are the facts:

The can, released last November, features an image of the Statue of Liberty along with the words "One Nation … Indivisible."
The special packaging was designed to reflect our pride in this country's determination to stand together as one.
The Statue of Liberty and Pledge of Allegiance were chosen as two of the greatest symbols of American freedom.

Due to space limitations on the can, only a few of the 31 words from the Pledge of Allegiance could be used. The available area for graphics limited the amount of verbiage on the can.
Of the 31 words in the Pledge of Allegiance, only three were included. More than 90 percent were not included.

We at Dr Pepper/Seven Up strongly believe that the message on these cans is a resoundingly patriotic, bipartisan message that we are a united nation.

More than 41 million special edition cans were ordered by Dr Pepper bottlers in portions of a dozen states.  Because the limited edition patriotic can is to be retired in February, you will soon see regular packaging graphics for Dr Pepper at your local retail stores.

Sincerely,
Dr Pepper/Seven Up, Inc.

[good_ash]

Great way to reward a company that tries to be patriotic, everybody!

They printed only 3 words on the can - not the whole pledge. Maybe I should protest the fact they left out the rest of the words.

Anybody who is getting in a huff about this needs to get a life. Now I think I'll go have some 7-up.

[dighton]

(#s 16, 27, 33)

In Webster's III, the first definition of verbiage is approximately what you gave. I supplied the second definition to counter suggestions -- OK, your suggestion -- that the word was used pejoratively. You requested and received 'splaining.

If you have a quarrel with definition #2, take it up with General Patton (quoted therein).

[eno_]

They can do whatever they want to with their cans, but their response is clearly dishonest. Why should I drink anything made ina factory run by liars? Does not sound like a good idea.

[tubebender]

One good outcome of this Brouhaha might be that Madison Ave not be so flippant with their prose as per the anti gun Jeep ad.

[cajun-jack]

the two words.."under God" takes les space than indivisible does...so their argument is moot.....point, set, match!!!

[Endeavor]

ditto

[RonDog]

After I saw this can, I don't have a problem with what Dr. Pepper did. I don't consider them anti-religion or anti-God. Now, if they had published all of the pledge except the words "under God", there would be an argument. But just to say we as a nation are "indivisible", I'm fine with that.

Precisely. I know a LITTLE bit about marketing, and would venture to say that THIS beverage can:

Dr Pepper I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.

would not stand out on a crowded supermaket shelf as well - and PERHAPS, as a result, not SELL as well - as THIS one:

from Stephen Wooding:
"Did you ever notice that lots of drinks have the title Dr.?
Many of these are ripoffs of Dr Pepper, and I collect them."

But that is just one dog's opinion. ;)

[rwfromkansas]

Dr. Pepper is flat-out lying. Just by looking at the can design, they could fix the problem by making the statue of liberty a bit smaller so the torch could go far enough down to move the words all the way to the left of the design. God would fit in there. Also, they could simply make the font smaller. There are options if one really wanted to have God on that can.

[Hank Kerchief]

I recently observed a 7-UP commercial ... an actor is walking down a street, removing his clothes until finally he is wearing nothing but his undershorts. He removes the shorts and a crowd around him is depicted staring at him.

Most sincerely,
B. Lee Pemberton
Pastor

Why in the world would you be watching something like that, and watching it to the bitter end, Pastor? Why were you even watching TV. Did God have nothing better for you to do?

Hank

[rwfromkansas]

they could not have fit that in....it is VERY CLEAR that they could have fit under God in....and it would have even looked better by not having Lady Liberty jutting right againt the normal Pepsi design. Just making lady liberty a bit smaller so more words could fit would have done the job. Dr. Pepper is spreading a bunch of crap, frankly.

[MeekOneGOP]

Holy, UN-Cola, Batman! !

[CounterCounterCulture]

I say no big whoop.

[Hank Kerchief]

Looks like Dr. Pepper has some more "splaining" to do!

To whom. Are you one of the word police?

I thought Freepers were aginst this kind PC hooliganism.

Hank

[rwfromkansas]

While I am not exactly up in arms here even as a coservative Christian, the fact is, it is somewhat of an issue for me because they could have put under God in there if they really wanted. The excuse they could not fit words in does not work.....they could have changed the design if they really wanted to get them in.

[RonDog]

I should have also thanked you for clearing this up.
Mea Culpa...

Ego Te Absolvo - Now, go - and mis-FReep no more. ;)

We need to save our time, our energy, and our CREDIBILITY for much more important issues, IMHO.

[CounterCounterCulture]

As a sidenote, Ward Connerly's recent column used the same phrase for the title...One Nation Indivisible.

For what it's worth

[MadelineZapeezda]

I can understand why some people are upset that the words 'under God' are missing. I would also hope that these same people get out of bed in the a.m. and worship in the church of their choice. How about it?

[RonDog]

Dr. Pepper is flat-out lying. Just by looking at the can design, they could fix the problem by making the statue of liberty a bit smaller so the torch could go far enough down to move the words all the way to the left of the design. God would fit in there. Also, they could simply make the font smaller. There are options if one really wanted to have God on that can.

Perhaps. They also could REALLY have saved some space, and left off the words "Dr Pepper." ;)

I guess that it all depends on what they are selling...
Can you imagine the furor - from ALL sides - if their can said:

"God Drinks Dr Pepper!"

Once again, the folks from Waco seem to have "the most misunderstood soft drink!"

[Nan48]

I don't drink Dr. Pepper anyway, and the company certainly has a right to put whatever they want on their cans. However, this action of leaving off "under God" is just an indication to me of their priorities. No surprise.

We are, in fact, one nation under God, which makes us indivisable. If it were not so, we would not exist as a nation.