Financials
PepsiCo. paid Satruday Night Live $3 million to place Pepsi in the show’s MacGruber sketches. • Atlantic Beverage Co. purchased 138,000 square feet of industrial space in New Jersey for $7-million. The company had previously been a tenant at the 507,400-square-foot landmark building–a former L.A. Dreyfus Company manufacturing facility–for 10 years.
Law and Policy
Corporate watchdog As You Sow analyzed the recycling practices of 16 companies, and ranked Coca-Cola the best, with a C grade. • The Epoch Times ran a piece on how to choose the “greenest” beverage. In short, never buy at RTD. Ever. • Oregon’s expansion of its container-deposit law to bottled water went into effect January 1, and the Oregon Liquor Control Commission reported that 218 of 726 stores it inspected did not comply with the law.
New SKUs
First Juice, Inc., introduced two new flavors featuring purple carrots: blueberry+purple carrot and peach+purple carrot. And, if you are wondering … yes, purple carrots are real! • 7UP is romancing consumers with its latest creation – Cherry 7UP Antioxidant. The pink-hued beverage combines the flavor of 7UP with a hint of cherry and the bonus of antioxidant Vitamin E. • Clearly Canadian has re-launched its entire brand line-up with new packaging, new graphics and new flavors with lower calories.
Miscellaneous
An Omaha news program questioned if energy shots are bad for children. • A British inquest heard testimony about a student who died after consuming four Red Bulls and other caffeinated beverages that may have aggravated a pre-existing heart condition.
Promotions/Appearances
Dr Pepper Snapple Group is offering 2 million coupons for free Diet Dr Pepper to consumers as part of their stimulus plan for America. • Coca-Cola dropped “Classic” on its cans and promotional materials, but, unlike the “New Coke” change, the formula will remain the same. • Mountain Valley Spring Water has repackaged its entire plastic-bottled water portfolio with 25% recycled PET. • Coca-Cola has provided $400,000 to to encourage development of new sustainable forms of packaging. The funding will be used to support a proposed Packaging Innovation and Sustainability Centre at Michigan State University (MSU.) • Ocean Spray is joining the American Heart Association’s Go Red for Women movement, by giving more than $1.4 million in support of the cause. • Ben Roethlisberger scored his very own “got milk?” ad that ran in USA Today on February 2. • BI Nutraceuticals announced that its president and CEO, George Pontiakos, will be leading an education session entitled “Sterilization Techniques for Ingredients: Safe, Organic Alternatives, Including Dry Steam Sterilization” at the SupplyExpo tradeshow. • drank appeared in R & B artist Keri Hilson’s new “Turnin’ Me On” music video. • The Cherry Marketing Institute released a statement labeling cherries as a domestic superfruit. • Fans of 5-Hour Energy Shots now have a location to connect and have some fun in the new 5-Hour Energy Fan Zone.