Have any of my wonderful readers tried the NEW Pepsi NEXT product, the most recent addition to the Pepsi line? I’ve been surfing around a number of the well-known mom blogs out there and discovered quite a few of them are boasting about the great taste of the soda and how it offers 60% less sugar and half the calories of Pepsi-Cola. The new and improved beverage hits the shelves nationwide everywhere today, Apparently, the Pepsi PR is reaching out to the influential mommy bloggers to help saturate the blogosphere on how Pepsi NEXT delivers real cola taste without all the sweet stuff that expands your waste line and it’s what cola lovers have been waiting for. The new 60 calorie beverage will put a smile on your face and get your kids dancing with joy.
To give consumers their first taste of Pepsi NEXT, the product launch will include:
A Walmart sampling program hitting 800 Walmart Supercenter stores across the country, beginning March 26 through the end of April. Consumers can visit facebook.com/pepsinext to find the nearest Walmart store for their risk-free trial of Pepsi NEXT.
In-market sampling for consumers to try Pepsi NEXT for free across 40+ cities nationwide between the end of March and August 2012.
A TV ad spot, created by TBWA/Chiat/Day, featuring an excited young couple recording their first interaction with Pepsi NEXT, meanwhile missing the “unbelievable acts” of their baby in the background, from dancing to handstands. This 30-second spot will begin airing nationwide on March 26 on prime-time and cable networks, and will be complemented with online and radio advertising.
A digital application on facebook.com/pepsinext inviting users to “taste” Pepsi NEXT online.
Fans who opt-in and are selected can watch themselves “taste” new Pepsi NEXT with the “Improv You” Internet Taste Test, leveraging the power of improv and Funny or Die comedians to create videos of fans tasting Pepsi NEXT for the first time.
Multi-city PR events in which a few famous faces will surprise lucky fans with their first sip of Pepsi NEXT.
Targeted and relevant Hispanic advertising and grassroots marketing.
Before you decide to get your sneakers on and begin running to your local Wamart to experience the miracle soda that delivers all of the sweet taste of regular Pepsi-Cola, but offers all the advantages of diet soda, I figured you might like to really know what is hanging out within the ingredient list. All that sugar must be substituted with something right? Pepsi NEXT is composed of the ideal mixture of cola flavor and a combination of sugar substitutes to closely mimic the taste curve of a regular cola, hence the company claims. However, precisely what is not being advertised is Pepsi NEXT nevertheless includes the high fructose corn syrup in regular Pepsi, the aspartame in Diet Pepsi, the sucralose in Pepsi One, and the acesulfame potassium in Pepsi Max. Oh yea …sigh… just the thing we need, a cocktail of the worst controversial artificial sweeteners to get consumers totally hooked on. Even though the chemicals are defended on the premise that they’re “Generally Recognized As Safe” (GRAS) by the Food & Drug Administration, which gives consumers a false reassurance, each one of these carries a concern. Sucralose (Splenda) has been shown to alter gut microflora and decrease absorption of some minerals in rat studies. Acesulfame potassium and aspartame (the devil in my opinion) have been associated with alarming carcinogenic links. AND I don’t assume I even need to point out the controversy behind high fructose corn syrup ! So there you have it! A mixture of toxins and definitely not what Americans need! I won’t be trying it or giving it to any of my family members! Sorry Pepsi, I’m severely disappointed in this particular new beverage!
Two weeks ago I told you about how Pepsi was taking responsible measures to reduce the potentially cancer causing caramel colorings that contain 4-MI, but now it brings out a product with a mix of four controversial sweeteners. One foot forward and two steps back! Why can’t Pepsi take some of the $600 million it invested in advertising and marketing and put it towards manufacturing a beverage consisting of safer sweetener choices like Stevia and Erythritol? COME ON Pepsi you can do better than this!
Sources:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18800291
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1570055
http://urbangardenmagazine.com/2010/04/aspartame-the-politics-of-food
Soda is one of my big time weaknesses. I’ve done really good about cutting back but I still enjoy a few cans a week and recently switched out my regular Pepsi for the Pepsi NEXT … despite the mix of possibly unsafe sweeteners, the lower calorie count is a huge bonus to me.
Thank you for answering the question I couldn’t find on the Pepsi site. Since I am deathly allergic to nutrasweet this will NOT be sitting at my computer table ever.
I have never even “sort of” liked any diet drink. I know this isn’t quite “diet” but I am happy to have a mid calorie soda to drink that I actually like.
umm just cause it has 60% less suagr doesn’t make is healthy makes it healthy to a smalllll extent it still has the same cola chemicals that are bad for you
Very true Janet! In fact, I believe it is actually worse for you because it contains actually more artificial sweeteners! Personally, I would rather have pure sugar than the chemicals! How about you?