Guns Ní Roses Demand Apology From Dr. Pepper Over Soda ìFiascoî
Guns Ní Roses are threatening Dr. Pepper with legal action over what the band calls ìa complete fiascoî of a publicity stunt. Dr. Pepper promised every person in America a free can of soda if Guns Ní Roses released Chinese Democracy this year; on November 23rd, the day Democracy was released, fans were told they could get a coupon for a free can at its website. According Axl Roseís lawyer Alan S. Gutman, things went terribly wrong: Yesterday he sent a letter to Dr. Pepper CEO Larry Young saying that the soda companyís website crashed and that ìthe redemption scheme your company clumsily implemented for this offer was an unmitigated disaster which defrauded consumers and, in the eyes of vocal fans, ëruinedí the day of Chinese Democracyís releaseî. The band is seeking a public apology via ads in newspapers, plus more time for people to claim their free soda and monetary damages. In the words of the letter: ìNow itís time to clean up the mess.î The letter continues, ìAs we all now know, Dr. Pepper created an expansive and highly-publicized advertising campaign based solely on the exploitation of my cleintsí legendary reputation. In and of itself this campaign brazenly violated our clientsí rights in numerous respects. Unfortunately, Dr. Pepper has now magnified the damage this campaign has caused through its appalling failure to make good on a promise it made to the American public.î
Other highlights from the letter: ìOur clients are outrated at your treatment of their fans and the American public in general. After it became clear that Chinese Democracy would be released in 2008, Dr. Pepper executive Tony Jacobs proudly proclaimed that Dr. Pepper would make good on its promise to give a free soda to everyone in America. It turned out that Dr. Pepper did not define ëeveryone in Americaí the same way as ëeveryone in Americaí defined ëeveryone in America.íî It concludes, ìHad you wished to engage in a commercial tie-in with our clients, you should have negotiated a legitimate arrangement instead of hijacking their rights without payment. Rest assured, this misappropriation will not be free.î
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