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Honored Contributor
Posts: 8,035
Registered: ‎03-14-2010

Just watched a Netflix Documentary titled "Pepsi, Where's My Jet?"

I thought it was interesting. If you have some time to spare. You might find it worth your time to watch.

Respected Contributor
Posts: 3,871
Registered: ‎03-11-2010

I watched it. Yes, interesting. I guess that's why QVC had that long screed about some contest they are having: to protect themselves in case of any issues, which Pepsi didn't do.

Esteemed Contributor
Posts: 7,408
Registered: ‎01-27-2014

@drizzelllaCan you please provide a little more info about what it is about? I almost watched it, but I couldn't determine what it was actaully about.....so I didn't watch it.

Honored Contributor
Posts: 8,035
Registered: ‎03-14-2010

@Goldengate8361wrote:

@drizzelllaCan you please provide a little more info about what it is about? I almost watched it, but I couldn't determine what it was actaully about.....so I didn't watch it.


Netflix documentary miniseries Pepsi, Where's My Jet? follows two friends, John Leonard and Todd Hoffman, as they embark on a hairbrained idea to sue Pepsi for a military jet. The unbelievable true story took place in the 1990s when Pepsi was pouring millions into advertising as it aimed to win over Coca-Cola drinkers.

John Leonard was a student when he took on the multi-billion dollar multinational soft drinks company PepsiCo in the 1990s. Leonard saw Pepsi’s advert, released in 1996, that showed consumers could gain Pepsi points by buying bottles of cans of the soft drink and trade the points in for different rewards.

The ad showed that 90 Pepsi points could net you a t-shirt, 120 points could be traded for a pair of sunglasses, and 1,400 points was worth a leather jacket. At the end of the advert, a teenage boy lands a Harrier Jet outside a school and quips ‘sure beats the bus’. Then, crucially, text flashes stating that the jet could be traded for 7 million Pepsi points.

It would have cost Leonard millions to bulk buy enough cans of Pepsi, pay for warehouses to store them, and hire staff to peel the coupons - daunted, he found another way to beat the system.

Pepsi has also stated that Pepsi points could be bought for 10 cents each, so Leonard teamed up with his friend, and business owner Todd Hoffman, The pair met whilst mountain climbing, and despite Todd being two decades older, they became close friends.

Leonard and Hoffman attempted to give Pepsi their cheque for $700,000, but were rebuffed by the company who said that the ad was an obvious joke. Eventually the case was taken to court in 1999.


John was unsuccessful in court, the case, which became known as the Pepsi Points Case, was presided over by judge Kimba Wood. Whilst Leonard claimed that he was entitled to a Harrier jet as there was no disclaimer on the advert, Wood found in favour of PepsiCo.

She said that no reasonable person would believe that the advert constituted a serious offer. Hoffman stated that Wood supported Pepsi in the case because she was a corporate lawyer.

Honored Contributor
Posts: 10,430
Registered: ‎05-15-2016

It was definitely interesting and I'm surprised I didn't hear about it at the time.
I would have just settled before it got to that point, but that wouldn't make as good of a documentary.

The business in the Phillipines was tragic. Makes me want to give up Diet Pepsi.

Respected Contributor
Posts: 2,704
Registered: ‎03-11-2010

This seems like a documentary that I would be interested in. Thank you.

@drizzellla

Honored Contributor
Posts: 8,035
Registered: ‎03-14-2010

@GenXmusewrote:

It was definitely interesting and I'm surprised I didn't hear about it at the time.
I would have just settled before it got to that point, but that wouldn't make as good of a documentary.

The business in the Phillipines was tragic. Makes me want to give up Diet Pepsi.




I felt so bad for the people in the Phillipines. I don't understand how could Pepsi have made such a big mistake? It makes you wonder who Pepsi had running the company.

Honored Contributor
Posts: 14,752
Registered: ‎03-15-2014

But what does the Philippines have to do with this documentary?

Honored Contributor
Posts: 8,035
Registered: ‎03-14-2010

Re: Pepsi, Where's My Jet?

[ Edited ]

@ValuSkrwrote:

But what does the Philippines have to do with this documentary?




Pepsi had a contest in the Philippines. It happened before the advertisement for the Harrier Jet in the United States.

One of the lawyers found out about Pepsi having a contest in the Philippines. That didn't end well.

This is a paragraph about it.

Decades ago, a marketing stunt promised Philippine soda drinkers a chance at a million pesos. But an error at a bottling plant led to 600,000 winners—and to lawsuits, rioting, and even deaths.