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Brands & Merch Business News
Perry panned for peddling Pepsi
By Chris Cooke | Published on Wednesday 23 October 2013
While pop stars with a young fanbase might think twice before allying with an alcohol brand, taking the dollar of a fizzy drink product probably hasn’t been considered too controversial in the past. But America’s Center For Science In The Public Interest, working with a number of other US consumer groups, is trying to change that.
The campaigners have taken out an ad in Variety to make a public plea to Katy Perry to stop working with fizzy drink makers on the basis she is encouraging her young, impressionable fans to consume the sugary-syrup-in-a-can that is, the campaigners argue, contributing to rising obesity amongst young Americans and probably keeping dentists busy too.
Perry has been picked for the open letter because of her recent alliance with Pepsi, even though she’s never had a formal endorsement deal with the drink. But Perry has been linked to the brand through an awards show and movie promotion, which is enough for the Center For Science In The Public Interest et al.
Michael Jacobson, Executive Director of the Center, says: “It’s a sad story that some of the best-known celebrities in the country are encouraging their young audiences to drink beverages that are bad for their health. We’re focusing on Katy because she’s so popular with young people”.
Meanwhile the open letter tells Perry: “Being popular among children brings with it an enormous responsibility. Don’t exploit that popularity by marketing a product that causes disease in your fans”.
Perry is yet to respond to the campaign, but a spokeswoman for Pepsi denied that its past links with Perry constituted an effort to sell their product direct to children. The firm’s Andrea Foote told reporters: “We have a long history of responsible advertising and marketing practices, including a commitment to not direct our advertising to audiences comprised predominantly of children under twelve”.
