Famous Prankster 'The Internet' Hijacks Another Promotional Campaign

from the you-really-can't-specify-which-'crowd'-you-want-to-'source' dept

Wed, Aug 15th 2012 7:31am — Tim Cushing

You know what The Internet does better than nearly anything else? If you answered, "Provide me with a creative and useful list of potential product names," go ahead and add that to the PowerPoint deck and hope no one asks for a citation. If you answered, "Find some way to add bodily fluids, Hitler and 'manual override' to our branded site featuring our prominent logo," go ahead and add that to your "Life Experiences" portfolio you're currently boxing up under the watchful eye of your security escort over at PepsiCo's headquarters.

Understandably, PepsiCo probably felt safe doing this. After all, when it had run a rather straightforward campaign, in which Facebook users voted for the next Mtn Dew flavor, it had the good sense to limit The Internet's input to three buttons. Perhaps feeling a bit overconfident, PepsiCo went to the same well again, hoping to name its new green apple-flavored soda. Only this time, it thought the Mtn Dew-swilling internet denizens might appreciate a bit more interaction. But giving The Internet an open text box for submissions without even bothering to do even the most cursory vetting of replies is only going to end the way everyone (but the corporate marketing team) knew it would: depravity mixed with Godwin's law, garnished with a side of Wilford Brimley.

Here's the voting results as seen shortly before the site went down:

Beyond the weird Grandma fetish and the masturbation jokes is a long list of (believe it or not) more offensive suggestions, snagged for posterity by a helpful reddit user. (Link only. Gallery runs seven pages deep and includes some other hilarious suggestions for the new Dew name, including "Coke," "Sierra Mist," "Never Going To Give You Upple,"WE'VE RUN OUT OF COLORS," "Solient Green," and, of course, "mtn jew." Reading list out loud probably NSFW.)

Here's a slightly earlier version, which seems to have appeared before some rudimentary cleanup was performed by the Dew team, which not only brings one of The Internet's favorite references to the top of the list, but also drops a completely trollish scrolling headline right over the top of the website:

Mtn Dew's official Twitter account ceded the battle on the 14th, having given up its dream of something usable like "Tempest" or "Green Flash" score near the top of the list. (Sadly, I don't think "Methamphetagreen" will make the cut.) A very concise concession, done neatly in less than 140 characters but still resonant enough to make one feel momentarily bad about splattering well-aged fluids all over the "little guy" who happened to be in the wrong place ('The Internet') at the wrong time ('ALWAYS').

@antderosa Dub the Dew definitely lost to The Internet. It was a local customer program, not a Dew one, & we're helping them clean up
— Mountain DewÃ‚Â® (@mtn_dew) August 14, 2012

Adding to the fun is the fact that no established prankster-heavy online entity wants to take credit for whitewashing Hitler's past/celebrating the unexpectedly feisty sexual activity of women in their "golden years." Reddit says 4chan did it. 4chan claims Reddit is behind the Hitler/Granny/diabeetus debacle. It all very definitely looks like a 4chan effort, but the truth is probably closer to "a bit of both." Does anyone seriously believe Reddit and 4chan share no common members?

But after all is said and done, PepsiCo might have lost this particular battle, but overall it wins the war. Plenty of people spent more time thinking about MTN Dew (and Hitler... and... dear lord... Grandma) then they would have otherwise. A few months down the road, "Tempest" (probably) will appear in stores and be purchased by curious Dew fans, wondering internally if "Fapple" or "Grannies Spurt" better describes the flavor. Externally, everything else will be as it always was. And The Internet will sit by quietly, waiting for someone to call its name.

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Filed Under: crowdsourcing, mountain dew
Companies: pepsico

60 Comments

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Anonymous Coward, 15 Aug 2012 @ 7:38am

LIES
It wasn't Reddit or 4chan, it was those fuckers at 9gag!
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Anonymous Coward, 15 Aug 2012 @ 7:40am

The 4chan children strike again. Why are you so amused by infantile behavior?
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Hiro Nogano (profile), 15 Aug 2012 @ 7:42am

This literally made my morning! Awesome!
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:Lobo Santo (profile), 15 Aug 2012 @ 7:44am

Re: LIES
Yes! And I'm sure somebody will 'shop some proof momentarily...

;-P
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Anonymous Coward, 15 Aug 2012 @ 7:53am

Re:
It's a campaign to name a new flavor of a soda. Stop getting your panties in a twist.
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ChurchHatesTucker (profile), 15 Aug 2012 @ 7:58am

FWIW
If you're wondering about all the "grannies", there was a push just prior to all of that by bronies who were trying to get the flavor named "Granny Smith" (after a My Little Pony character.) 4chan (or whoever) riffed off of that.
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Donnicton, 15 Aug 2012 @ 8:04am

Some of the suggestions in the full list were great, though.

#59. Never Gunna Give You Upple? Brilliant.
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Anonymous Coward, 15 Aug 2012 @ 8:07am

Re: Re:
I don't have panties, and they wouldn't be twisted if I did. I only said that the humor is infantile. Perhaps it explains why Mike likes Kevin Smith so much, a man mostly famous for dick and fart jokes.
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A Non-Mouse, 15 Aug 2012 @ 8:08am

Hopefully the Mountain Dew folks can show a sense of humor and see this for what it is: A well done prank that they left themselves wide open for. Laugh it off and realize that, at least in this case, there is no bad publicity.
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Dave (profile), 15 Aug 2012 @ 8:11am

Methamphetagreen
"Methamphetagreen" is brilliant. They should just rename the original Mountain Dew that and call it a day.
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Anonymous Coward, 15 Aug 2012 @ 8:13am

Re: Re: Re:
WOW, you are the poster boy of a sad, humorless, pathetic, angry little man. The only infantile mind here, is yours.
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Anonymous Coward, 15 Aug 2012 @ 8:15am

Re: Re:
He can't help it, he doesn't have a soul. They're illegal in D.C.
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Anonymous Coward, 15 Aug 2012 @ 8:17am

Re: Re: Re:
Yes, but which director/actor does Tim like?
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Anonymous Coward, 15 Aug 2012 @ 8:18am

PepsiCo should give the internet a nod for it's efforts and name the new flavor Troll Juice.
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Glen, 15 Aug 2012 @ 8:19am

Re:
Seriously, you can't get much better than that.
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Anonymous Coward, 15 Aug 2012 @ 8:19am

Re: Methamphetagreen
Agreed. The Internet can collectively be brilliantly imaginative sometimes.
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DCX2, 15 Aug 2012 @ 8:21am

Re: Methamphetagreen
Methamphetagreen is definitely the best one I've seen so far.
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DCX2, 15 Aug 2012 @ 8:24am

Re: Re: Re:
What does Kevin Smith have to do with this, other than being a red herring?

For that matter...what does Mike have to do with this? Is your distaste for the man so great that you just assume everything on this site is written by him? Kinda reminds me of people who call health reform "Obamacare"...but the Constitution doesn't give Obama the power to write laws.
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facebook covers (profile), 15 Aug 2012 @ 8:26am

it was definately 4chan, lol epic tho.
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Anonymous Coward, 15 Aug 2012 @ 8:26am

Re: Re: Re:
I feel quite bad for everyone who has the unfortunate experience of knowing you.
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Anonymous Coward, 15 Aug 2012 @ 8:33am

Re: Methamphetagreen
I think that's what I am going to be calling Mtn. Dew now. It's such a brilliant and fitting name honestly.
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Chronno S. Trigger (profile), 15 Aug 2012 @ 8:42am

Re:
There is a higher level of humor at work here, you're just not seeing it. I'd explain it to you, but people smarter then me have been trying to explain humor for thousands of years, and I still don't think you would understand it.
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John Fenderson (profile), 15 Aug 2012 @ 8:43am

Made my day
This is the funniest thing I've seen this week. Thank you, the internet!
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John Fenderson (profile), 15 Aug 2012 @ 8:47am

Re: FWIW
Also, Granny Smith is a variety of apple. The reference seemed pretty obvious to me.

"Gushin' Granny" is so close to the mark (Granny == apple, gushin' == juicy) that it's the type of name I could see being accidentally used by some poor souls whose minds don't tend to wander anywhere near the gutter.
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Vidiot (profile), 15 Aug 2012 @ 9:03am

Re: Re: Re: Re:
What's that? Red Herring-flavored Mountain Dew?
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Anonymous Coward, 15 Aug 2012 @ 9:03am

Re: Re:
Higher level? Wow. I have some cartoons my 2 year old watches that would probably fascinate you.
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Vidiot (profile), 15 Aug 2012 @ 9:06am

Ploy?
Wondering if Tim's use of "Mtn" instead of spelling out the product name is a strategy to stay under the Pepsico radar... or whether he just hates vowels.
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Ninja (profile), 15 Aug 2012 @ 9:27am

Re:
I'm almost 30. And while I'm not that creative (Grandma, rly?) I'd probably contribute with very amusing names ;)

No srsly, opening it up to a fertile mob (the internet) is NOT a good idea ;)
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Ninja (profile), 15 Aug 2012 @ 9:29am

Re:
That, if anything, it should add even more publicity. Reminds me of that blind batman drawings... Amusing!
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Anonymous Coward, 15 Aug 2012 @ 9:40am

The Bronies were originally in on this, trying to get "Apple Jack" (one of the characters from the show) as the drink name. I think it reached #2 before the Granny Porn took over.
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Anonymous Coward, 15 Aug 2012 @ 9:46am

Re: Re: Re:
You really should get some panties then. Going commando increases your risk of vaginal chaffing, pubic lice, bacterial vaginosis, or a urinary tract infection. So please get some panties and wear them.
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Anonymous Coward, 15 Aug 2012 @ 9:48am

Re:
You are so amused by infantile behavior because you're wired too. So it's really not your fault you find this funny and you shouldn't take that fact out on others or yourself.
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Anonymous Coward, 15 Aug 2012 @ 9:50am

Re: Re: Re:
It's true, I have to hide mine in my laptop bag every time I cross the border. Virginia's laws are a little looser as they take a 'don't ask, don't tell' stance to souls.
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Ninja (profile), 15 Aug 2012 @ 9:50am

Come on ppl, an article about interwebz hilarity and not a single comment marked with LOL? Should we call 4chan/reddit/9gag/insertcrazygroup to discuss this?
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Anonymous Coward, 15 Aug 2012 @ 9:51am

Re: Re: Re:
It's good that you find your child's cartoons engaging enough to share them with others. Sharing is a healthy part of human development.
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Michael Becker (profile), 15 Aug 2012 @ 9:52am

Re: Ploy?
"Mtn" is actually the current spelling in the Mountain Dew logo, so he's using it the same way PepsiCo does.
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Anonymous Coward, 15 Aug 2012 @ 9:53am

Re:
I can't make them laugh can I?
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Fickelbra (profile), 15 Aug 2012 @ 10:00am

:(
Sorry that we can't have a sophisticated sense of humor like yourself, anonymous coward. Unfortunately if you had the ability to read between the lines, I would say the article is more about highlighting the ability of the internet to organize and take action, even if the goal isn't always something noble. It is an event worthy of coverage, particularly since these types of results would take a considerable amount of action.

Do yourself a favor; get off your computer, and get to your porch. We wouldn't want you to miss yelling at the neighborhood kids stepping on your lawn.
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DS, 15 Aug 2012 @ 10:14am

Re:
Your mom found it funny...
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Chronno S. Trigger (profile), 15 Aug 2012 @ 10:25am

Re: Re: Re:
OK, I'll attempt to explain it even though it's physically impossible to explain humor to the humorless.

Pepsi (are you following so far?) decided to give the Internet (I know, a big word, but just try to keep up) free reign over the naming of something that no one really cares about. It wasn't multiple choice, you could write in your own name. What the hell did they think was going to happen? This would be hilarious if the winning name was "Bob" (actually that name alone would be hilarious as an inside joke).
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Anonymous Coward, 15 Aug 2012 @ 10:34am

Re: FWIW
I would have gone with "Zap Apple". Granny Smith is a little too generic--being the name of an apple variety--to be an obvious MLP reference.
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Anonymous Coward, 15 Aug 2012 @ 10:34am

Re: Re:
That's not what she told me last night. Maybe she was just trying to seem older.
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Mike42 (profile), 15 Aug 2012 @ 10:49am

I just wanted to note that it would appear that the Tims have switched logins. The previous article by Timothy Geigner (supposedly) about Disney was completely mature and factual. Not even a fart joke! And now this...
I'm calling bullshit. Come clean.
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btr1701, 15 Aug 2012 @ 10:51am

Re: Re: Re: Re:
> Kinda reminds me of people who call health reform
> "Obamacare"...but the Constitution doesn't give Obama
> the power to write laws.

Might want to tell Obama that. His own campaign calls it Obamacare.
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Anonymous Coward, 15 Aug 2012 @ 11:00am

Re: LIES
Working with ebaums, no doubt.
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Anonymous Coward, 15 Aug 2012 @ 11:10am

>Timothy Geigner

>factual

Yep. Not buying it.
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Anonymous Coward, 15 Aug 2012 @ 11:24am

Re: Re: Re:
Was she sucking you off at the same time as well? I knew she was a freak, but man, that's really freaky-deaky.
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Anonymous Coward, 15 Aug 2012 @ 11:43am

Re: LIES
Can I get an LOL?
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ChurchHatesTucker (profile), 15 Aug 2012 @ 11:48am

Re: Re: FWIW
Yeah, I think they were trying to sneak it under the radar.
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Anonymous Coward, 15 Aug 2012 @ 11:52am

Re: Re: Re:
Mike didn't author this. Care to try again? While I can see the humor, it is, at best, sophomoric.
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Anonymous Coward, 15 Aug 2012 @ 11:54am

Re: Re:
"It's a campaign to name a new flavor of a soda. Stop getting your panties in a twist."

Will you still be saying that the next time you're going to get a soda and say "Brb I need to go take a swig of my gushing granny"
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Capitalist Lion Tamer (profile), 15 Aug 2012 @ 11:58am

Re: Re: LIES
Some of your comments read like they were destined to be delivered in your avatar's voice. This is one of them. Even the hand gesture is perfect.
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Capitalist Lion Tamer (profile), 15 Aug 2012 @ 12:35pm

Re: Ploy?
I hate typing extra letters and Mountain (MTN) Dew has thoughtfully edgified it product line in a way that skews in my lazy favor.

I only hate "u", otherwise known as the "Mandatory Vowel."
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Capitalist Lion Tamer (profile), 15 Aug 2012 @ 12:42pm

Re:
I'm as surprised as you are. If I had been in a more abrasive mood, I probably would have called out Pirate Mike for his obvious love of cheap knockoffs. Fortunately for me, I was at work when I read Tim's earlier and was in no position to yell stuff at the wrong writer.
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Anonymous Coward, 15 Aug 2012 @ 12:47pm

not a winner
Can I throw in "Sugarland Express". Is it to late? Did I win anything?I never win anything.You would think that someday I would win SOMETHING!I think this contest is rigged because I know that I didn't win.Did anybody win?
Told ya so!Somebody should call Pepsi.
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Anonymous Coward, 15 Aug 2012 @ 1:09pm

Re: Re: Re:
Its obvious that the answer is "yes".
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monkyyy, 15 Aug 2012 @ 8:47pm

maybe if someone stuck to their promise ONCE, the internet would take this sort of thing srsly.

give me one example where people voted up the jokes like "moot best person ever" from times, and they followed through, and not called up their lawyers to fix the mess?
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Anonymous Coward, 17 Aug 2012 @ 8:39am

Just dew it!
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Anonymous Coward, 19 Aug 2012 @ 9:31am

This is some of the most infantile humor...that I ever spent half an hour laughing at >.>
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mutuelle sant� fonctionnaire, 8 May 2013 @ 1:45pm

Cela m'est extr�mement pr�cieux ! Je dois dire que je ne regrette en rien de m'�tre abonn� � votre weblog. Bonne journ�e
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