Pepsi Wild Cherry Had a PR Fiasco, but Did People Read Too Much Into a Post?

I don't like the taste of Pepsi. Whether it is regular, diet, or any of the various flavors. Therefore, it feels weird when you've got me defending the brand and saying people are reading way too much into a social media post Pepsi did. A chunk of days ago, on Threads, Pepsi/whoever works for social media there wrote, "Pepsi Wild Cherry is what happens when regular cherry stops asking permission." It's a cute little joke about being spontaneous and throwing caution to the wind, right? Well, a number of people thought it sounded like it endorsed sexual assault. I suppose from a certain angle I could see that interpretation. If someone has suffered any kind of sexual assault, harassment, abuse, or so forth, then such a phrase could be triggering. Why would that be the first thing that pops into the heads of other folks, though? I'm surprised someone would read that and immediately think it was, "Rapey," as opposed to a bland statement about seeking out fun and adventure.

Suffering any form of abuse or assault is horrible. If Pepsi had intended to make light of SA, then it would make sense to drag them online relentlessly. The drastic interpretations of this post, however, seem very extreme. I don't think a billion-dollar corporation is going to think there is anything humorous about rape...well, a company with Elon Musk as the head might have him crack such a joke, but he's an asshole. As for how Pepsi handled this, they took the post down and apologized for how it, "...landed in a way we never intended." That's probably the best way to handle things, as opposed to ignoring the outcry or doubling down the way some brands desperate to go viral might--remember when Radioshack was on the way out and started making graphic tweets about sex toys? So yes, this was a fiasco, but in 2026 terms and the garbage fire that the internet has become, this will probably all be forgotten within a week when something even crazier happens, like Dwayne Johnson accidentally harpoons a manatee during a promotional stunt-gone-wrong for the new live-action, "Moana," or something else outlandish but fitting for what this World has become in the past half-decade. On the bright side, at least Pepsi didn't have to buy anybody a fighter jet.

Television Tuesday: "Pepsi, Where's My Jet?"

I watched the Netflix mini-series, "Pepsi, Where's My Jet?" over the weekend and it was delightful. The mini-series chronicles over four episodes how a man named John in his 20's sued Pepsi for a Harrier jet back in the 1990s. It was advertised as if it were a part of an ad campaign where you could use Pepsi points to get a t-shirt, glasses, a bag, or (theoretically) a jet. As Pepsi did not advertise the jet as being a joke (at first) this led to a very real case when John submitted money for Pepsi points (with assistance from an investor and friend named Todd) and requested his jet. 

The documentary approaches all of this madness with a nice lighthearted tone and is quite fun. At just four episodes it doesn't stretch the story out too much either as interviews with former advertising pros, Pepsi execs, lawyers, and plenty of discussion with John himself. If you don't know whether John eventually got his jet (or money equal to its value) I won't spoil the ending, but even if you do know how everything shook out the story is still worth hearing and seeing in this great little documentary.

5 out of 5 stars.