A federal judge ruled this week that Vitaminwater will not, as its labels promise, keep you “healthy as a horse.” Nor will it bring about a “healthy state of physical or mental being”. Instead, Vitaminwater is really just a sugary snack food; non-carbonated fruit coke disguised as a sports drink. Because it’s composed mostly of sugar and not vitamin-laden water, judge John Gleeson held that Vitaminwater’s absurd marketing claims were likely to mislead consumers. [More]
soft drinks
Man Says Yoo-hoo's 'Good For You' Promise Is False Advertising
By 7.6.10
A Brooklyn man is suing the makers of Yoo-hoo, the weird chocolate-flavored drink that’s been around for 90 years, over their claims that the drink is as healthy as it is delicious. Although actually, if the company would change its description to “as healthy as it is delicious,” they’d probably be able to avoid all lawsuits: “Look, we told you it wasn’t healthy.” [More]
Grocery Shrink Ray Evaporates 7 Up
By 4.2.10
Andy spotted this egregious example of Grocery Shrink Ray zappage at a Boulder, Colo. convenience store. The 20-ounce 7 Up has apparently been reduced to a measly 16.9 ounces, but still costs the same as its bigger, diet sister. [More]
Diet Dr. Pepper Cans Say It Isn't
By 1.11.10
Jenny the Bloggess was confused when she spotted these cans of Diet Dr. Pepper, as to the amount of diet-ness to the product, which claims there’s “nothing diet about it.” [More]
Costco Bans Coca-Cola
By 11.17.09
A dispute over pricing has led Costco to stop selling a number of Coca-Cola brands, which means all Coke varieties as well as Sprite, Squirt, Dasani water, and Full Throttle energy drinks, reports the Associated Press.
Pepsi VS Coke Logo Evolution
By 7.29.09
Some mystery genius put together a comparison of the logo evolution of Pepsi Vs. Coke. Enjoy.
Coca Cola Tells $10,000 Winner He Did Not Win; Gives Him $500 Instead
By 5.25.09
A Connecticut limo driver with six kids was thrilled to discover he had won $10,000 in scholarship funds in a new Coca Cola sweepstakes. He even got a message from Coke congratulating him on his win. Turns out it wasn’t The Real Thing after all: the message was an error, triggered by a promo test. He hadn’t won a cent, because the “Twist and Text” contest didn’t actually start for another three weeks.
Oklahoma Legislature Has Cocaine (The Drink) Party, Stays Up All Night Debating Ban, Grinding Teeth
By 2.25.09
Should an energy drink be allowed to brand itself with the name of an outlawed drug? A state lawmaker in Oklahoma says no, especially not when kids can buy it, and he’s trying to get the drink pulled off of shelves in the state.
Mountain Dew Addiction Helps Rot Central Appalachins' Teeth
By 2.12.09
Central Appalachia is the number one spot in America for tooth decay to due to their poor diet, lack of access to dental care, and widespread addiction to Mountain Dew. They say it’s used as a kind of anti-depressant, thanks to its high-caffeine and sugar levels. Good Morning America visited and found they even put it in baby bottles. Some 2-year olds have 12 cavities in their baby teeth. They discovered an 11-year old Dew-drinker boy who hadn’t brushed his teeth in several weeks because they hurt too much. Crazy to think that’s what acid, sugar and caffeine will do to your teeth when combined with a bad diet and little in the way of dentist visits. [More]
'My Coke Rewards' Program Grows Authentically Smaller, Less Rewarding
By 2.3.09
If you have a large number of points you better use them in the next few weeks, or be content with getting a large amount of Coke-branded clothing.
This Taco Bell Lies About Water In Order To Sell The Bottled Kind
By 1.29.09
Seriously, has it come to this? Now we have to resort to fountain drink station sleuthing to figure out whether our local fast food restaurant is lying to us? Nathan used his knowledge of drink machine buttonry to figure out that the machine does indeed offer up plain municipal water. The “water” button has been colored black with a marker, however, to help it blend in with the machine.
Coke Sued Over VitaminWater Claims
By 1.15.09
The Center for Science in the Public Interest has announced a class-action lawsuit against Coca-Cola over its VitaminWater line, on the grounds that it makes deceptive claims about the nutritional benefits of its drinks.
Subway Institutes $0.75 Refill Honor System?
By 9.19.08
Jon from NJ says describes his local Subway’s new 75 cent refill policy as “silly.” Hmmm.
Banning Soda Machines In Schools Only Decreases Consumption 4%
By 9.17.08
A new study says banning soda machines in schools only decreased kiddie soda pop consumption by 4%. Guess the soda kids were drinking in school wasn’t necessarily being bought at school.
Get Your Drink On With Pepsi Blue Hawaii
By 6.16.08
If Ice Cucumber Pepsi only left you nauseous for more, Pepsi has unveiled its “Blue Hawaii” flavor available only in Japan. The antifreeze-blue concoction delivers hints of pineapple and lemon which if consumed, will make you feel as if you have sailed into a heavenly island paradise, or something. Having fully recovered from his Ice Cucumber Pepsi review last year, reader Peter sacrifices himself for a video review of Pepsi Blue Hawaii. The video, inside…
Hey North America: Why Aren't You Buying 20 Oz Bottles Of Coke?
By 5.28.08
Oh no! You know there’s something wrong with the economy when people stop buying (comparatively) expensive 20 oz bottles of Coke. The Wall Street Journal says that sales of Coke’s biggest profit-maker are down and its affecting the company’s bottom line.
Dr Pepper Promises Free Soda For Almost Everyone In US If Axl Rose Will Release "Chinese Democracy" This Year
By 3.27.08
Yeah, it’s a PR stunt—but a funny one, especially because the only two people excluded by Dr Pepper’s pledge are “estranged GNR guitarists Slash and Buckethead.” Someone in the Dr Pepper PR department really likes Axl Rose. Rose says neither he nor his label are in cahoots with Dr Pepper, and that he’d share his drink with Buckethead because “some of Buckethead’s performances are on our album.”
Rise In Gout Blamed On Fructose In Soft Drinks
By 2.1.08
Gout sounds like something characters in Dickens novels get, but apparently it’s a modern affliction as well—at least in the U.S. where the number of cases has doubled in the past few decades. Now researchers are saying that “Men who consume two or more sugary soft drinks a day have an 85% higher risk of gout compared with those who drink less than one a month.”
