How a student wanted to sue Pepsi for a fighter jet, and what came of it

Pepsi Co has never spared money on advertising campaigns. At the same time, sometimes the brand goes too far and promises prizes that it cannot provide. The 1992 scandal with promotional caps in the Philippines, which ended in riots, is well known. Pepsi's embarrassment, which we want to tell you about, was not so well-known, but very unusual. The fact is that one guy from the USA won a Harrier combat aircraft from the company for $ 20 million.

In 1996, Pepsi conducted one of its many advertising campaigns. The essence of it was to collect points awarded for each brand product purchased. The more points, the more prizes. They played sun glasses, T-shirts, bags, jackets and other necessary things. The conditions of the action were described by an advertising video in which its creators had the imprudence to show imagination.

The advertisement promised to give a real fighter-bomber Harrier worth $ 20 million for 7 million points. Most likely, the company was sure that it would not be possible for a person to score so many points in a lifetime, let alone during the campaign. But Pepsi greatly underestimated the fans of their drinks. John Leonard, a 21-year-old business school student, decided to get the grand prize at all costs.

John carefully studied the terms of the promotion and saw that there was a postscript at the bottom, in small print. It said that if there are not enough balls to redeem prizes, they can be bought for $ 0.10. The guy calculated that in order to get an airplane, he needs to invest 700 thousand dollars in points. This is a huge amount, but the Harrier fighter-bomber was estimated at 20 million, and the game was worth the candle!

Of course, the student did not have such a sum. But he had wit and the gift of persuasion. He found investors who were willing to give the necessary amount. And then one day Leonard sent 15 labels from drinks and a check for the missing amount to the Pepsi office. It remained only to be patient and wait for the prize. But soon John received a letter in which the company refused him. It said that the promotional video of the campaign was nothing more than a joke. Therefore, no prize in the form of an airplane was provided.

But John Leonard, who was one step away from the coveted prize, did not back down. He decided to sue Pepsi Co and force the cheaters to give away the prize. He hired lawyers and filed a lawsuit accusing the company of fraud. The proof of the plaintiff's rightness was ironclad — this is a commercial that Pepsi itself shot. In it, a Harrier fighter jet lands near a school, and a teenager in his cockpit says: "Of course, this is cooler than a bus!". Then the same inscription appears in the frame, promising a plane for 7 million points.

As expected, Pepsi's lawyers were dodging and dodging in court. During the proceedings, the company stated that the rules had changed and 700 million points should be given for the plane. The lawyers leaned on the fact that the teenager in the video is an actor and cannot control a fighter. They also stated that no one in their right mind would believe that for some points you can get a plane for $ 20 million.

Of course, it was all unfair, but John Leonard still lost the trial. His story should be a lesson to anyone who believes that large companies are ready to part with the main prizes of the shares.