Sold on soda: Dr Pepper’s D-FW advertising
Dr Pepper is one of the most famous beverage brands in Texas. Since its inception in 1885, the company has used a variety of marketing tactics to compete with carbonated competition.
From promoting its supposed pick-me-up qualities in the early 1900s to advocating the warmed-up Dr. Pepper in the 1960s, the company kept finding innovative ways to get in touch with customers and get them to buy Dr. Pick up Pepper.
Local advertisements from The News follow Dr. Pepper’s ad campaigns that got Dallasites sold on soda.
Origin story
First served in 1885, Dr Pepper was originally from Waco, Texas by Charles Courtice Alderton, a pharmacist in Morrison’s Old Corner Drug Store who served lemonade when he was not filling out prescriptions. Kent Biffle wrote in the 1980 news article “Biography of a Drink”: “Alderton noticed that soda sippers … were fed up with the same old strawberry, cherry, orange, lemon, and sarsaparilla drinks.” Alderton developed new preparations and combined flavored syrups. When he developed the Dr Pepper flavor, he coined it “The Waco” but his manager suggested changing the name to Dr Pepper.
King of the drinks
Advert published on August 5, 1906.(The Dallas Morning News)
At the beginning of the 20th century, Dr. Pepper as the “king of drinks” and “liquid sunlight” and ignited its consumers with “courage, vigor and vitality”. Dr. Pepper highlighted its lack of stimulants – namely caffeine and cocaine, which its competitor Coca-Cola had mixed into its original recipe.
An emphasis on health
Advert published on May 27, 1932.(The Dallas Morning News)
During the Great Depression, Dr. Pepper in the spotlight, with ads characterizing it as a “safe for children 3 to 90 years old” tonic. One ad showed 114 imaginary Peppy Jack sprites – each representing a calorie – in a 6.5-ounce bottle that compared the calorie count of common foods with that of Dr. Pepper was compared.
“Have a bite to eat”
A clock depicting Dr Pepper Soda’s famous 10, 2, and 4 motto is one of the exhibits at the Dr Pepper Museum in Waco. Recorded on May 6, 1991.(Catharine Kruger)
In the 1920s, medical research popped up around zero hours, the hours of 10:30 a.m., 2:30 p.m., and 4:30 p.m. when hunger and bursts of energy set in. This is how Dr. Pepper’s “Drink a bite to eat”. [at 10, 2, and 4]“, Because the drink is supposed to increase energy and satisfy the appetite. Bottles labeled “10-2-4” reminded consumers of the medically prescribed times of day to give Dr. Devour Pepper.
DP later had a link to domestic efforts in World War II. Biffle stated, “The importance of [zero hours] Studies … helped soft drink processors gain sugar rations during World War II by arguing that their beverages were “food.” Pepper Indispensable to the War Effort “Because it was believed that workers in war production were more effective after drinking a lemonade.”
Heat it up and add a lemon
Advertisement for Hot Dr Pepper published on November 22, 1967.(The Dallas Morning News)
In the mid-sixties, Dr. Pepper customers to warm up the drink in winter. Some warm Dr. Pepper recipes called for a lemon wedge. Warm Dr. Pepper blew sales at winter college and pro football games.
Be a pepper
Illustration to a story published on April 20, 1980.(David Penca)
With the “Be A Pepper” campaign, Dr. Pepper put his marketing focus on consumers in the late 1970s. 1979 Dr. Pepper Co. President WW Clements stated, “Be A Pepper says that to be part of the crowd you have to be Dr. Drink pepper. “
Headline published on September 22, 1979.(The Dallas Morning News)
A person has been a Pepper or a Dr. Pepper followers taken to the next level. In a break-in reported in 1979, furniture was scattered by the intruder, but no large valuables or electronics were stolen. The only thing that was stolen from the residence? Two cans of Dr. Pepper in the fridge.
In the last quarter of 1982, Dr. Pepper’s first loss since 1955. Given the marketing muscles of industry giants Coca Cola and PepsiCo, Dr. Pepper stand out from competing colas. In 1984, Dr. Pepper developed a new advertising formulation – “extraordinary” – to appeal to an “original and extraordinary” market audience.
Out of the ordinary
Excerpt from an “I’m A Pepper” commercial published on July 3, 1981.(The Dallas Morning News)
In 1981, Dr. Pepper cans a chance to make money. The undersides of normal and sugar-free Dr Pepper canned tabs were printed with amounts of cash of 25 of, 50 or or $ 1.00 or the individual letters “I’M A PEPPER”. Whoever posted all of the letters won a cash prize of $ 250.
Diet debut
Excerpt from the advertisement by Dietetic Dr. Pepper, published March 21, 1963.(The Dallas Morning News)
By 1963, the sugar-free Dr. Pepper, also known as Dietetic Dr Pepper. However, this early version of the diet soda was not popular because the drink was intended for diabetics.
Twenty years later, NutraSweet, or aspartame, hit the sweetener scene and drove sales of diet soft drinks soaring. In 1987 Dr Pepper USA replaced sugar in its sugar-free Dr Pepper formula with aspartame and changed the name to Diet Dr Pepper and Movie Trailer. “
In May 1993 the Dr Pepper / Seven-Up Cos. Inc. ran a month-long promotion of Diet Dr Pepper, sponsored the Country Music Awards and the final episode of Cheers’, and ran $ 1 off coupons in People, USA Today, and TV Guide. In the second quarter of 1993, corporate profits reached an all-time high of 11.5%. “[racking] Sales in supermarkets and fast food restaurants double the industry average in the first half of 1993. ”Company representatives contributed some of this unprecedented revenue to the media flash in May.
Youth pop culture
Arlington High students dump their money during lunch on the Dr. Fall Pepper vending machine that was released on February 28, 1998.(TF_Tom Fox / 113517)
Headline published November 6, 2000.(The Dallas Morning News)
As the new millennium dawned, advertisements for Dr. Pepper at some public D-FW schools. Dr. Pepper signed deals with local school districts such as Plano ISD and acquired the exclusive rights to sell Dr. Pepper products in K-12 school canteens, vending machines, and campus events. This 2000 news editorial discussed the merits and drawbacks of this partnership, describing the higher income for schools as positive and the health effects as negative.
In 2007, Dr. Pepper was one of the first companies to offer an “advergame” or a branding game for children. As a browser-based “match-three” game, Dr Pepper’s Match Caps challenged players to combine three circular logos in a row. At the 2008 Webby Awards, the promotional game was named People’s Choice Winner.
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