The evolution of Dr Pepper

Dr Pepper put this on their Facebook wall,
facing a shitstorm of controversy from Creationists ever since.
Bad press or clever viral marketing?

Paul Arden once advised ad creators to "Work from the weakest point". He was specifically talking about account specifications (such as a brand dictating that their logo dominate the page) but this tidbit can apply to almost any aspect of an ad campaign. If you have an undesirable aspect of a product, don't use the ad to hide or sugarcoat it; bring it all out in the open. Have your ad make fun of the unmentionable, or at least make it fun. Some of advertising's most celebrated samples have followed this mantra, bringing the audience in on the joke & thus closer to the brand. Taking a leaf from this same book, we should remember to keep bringing each idea back to the product. Not some aloof demographic concept of who we're targeting. Not some supposedly genius creative idea that is only arbitrarily attached to the product. But what would the product itself want to say?

Taking the metaphor literally: Horrifying.

In September 2012, Dr Pepper put this 'Evolution of Flavor' pic on their Facebook Wall, instantly receiving a backlash from an army of angry Creationists who vowed never to reach for a Dr Pepper again. Whether or not they anticipated or even intended such a reaction, it says a lot about the Dr Pepper brand that they didn't remove the image in the face of the boycott. On some level, we can assume that the publicity generated by the controversy may ultimately generate more sales than whatever is lost by a number of Bible Bashers moving on to Mr Pibb. But the fact is that an all-inclusive product like Coca-Cola would never make such a divisive statement. Even though Pepsi has always thrived on 'Us vs Them' imagery, that line is always drawn along some abstract sense of being different, young or 'cool'. Neither cola would ever make what could be interpreted as a political statement, especially in regards to people's beliefs about the origins of the Universe.

Sticking with this evolutionist trend works for Dr Pepper though-because in name and in product- we can easily see them as overtly scientific. Dr Pepper promotes its taste as scientifically engineered, a distinctive blend of 23 flavours, rather than a singular magic potion with a recipe locked in a mysterious vault somewhere. Dr Pepper fans have likely come to terms with the fact that it tastes like what detractors decry as cough medicine. And it is this flavour distinction that Dr Pepper has always put forward first & foremost.

Many thanks to rainbow-haired Amy for posing.

"I've always maintained you cannot tell anyone what Dr Pepper tastes like because it's so different. It's not an apple, it's not an orange, it's not a strawberry, it's not a root beer, it's not even a cola. It's a different drink with a unique taste all its own."
-W.W. Clements, former CEO & President of Dr Pepper/7-Up Company

Compare this with Coke, or indeed any cola:

"Flavor chemists tell us that we forget the flavor of the cola nut very quickly. So we can take a sip & take another sip and we'll still want to have some more."
- Phillip F Mooney, archivist for Coca-Cola Company in Coca-Cola: History of an American Icon

That's why it's impossible to carry a Coke around and not keep drinking it.

Dr Pepper used to imprint their bottles, cans & lids with "10, 2 & 4" suggesting fans drink a Dr pepper at these times. Why not Noon or 1 o'clock, the typical times for lunch? People who want to have a Dr Pepper with their meal are likely to get one anyway. But drinking a Dr Pepper on either side of the day's main meal could leave fence-sitters with a distinctive aftertaste for longer, and this lingering flavour may create a new convert.