Pepsi

Coca-Cola, Pepsi, and Dr Pepper Snapple Group have just done the unthinkable. They've banded together in print and television ads to promote their new campaign to remove full-calorie soft drinks from nationwide schools. The joint initiative, spearheaded by the American Beverage Association (ABA) and called Clear on Calories, hopes to tackle childhood obesity with actions such as placing calories on the front of packages, vending machines, and fountain machines.

Thus far, the campaign has involved removing full-calorie sodas, and replacing them with portion-sized options like juice, tea, and water. So far, Clear on Calories has led to an 88 percent decrease in calories from beverages shipped to schools in 2004 — and the goal is to have all full-calorie soft drinks completely removed by 2012.

Through the campaign, the beverage industry hopes to fend off potentially costly legislation, such as taxes on sweetened beverages. "The 'clear on calories' initiative will have far more impact in addressing childhood obesity than a tax ever will," Kevin Keane, an executive at the ABA, told Ad Age. Can the top soft drink giants harness their market influence to effect a healthy change, or should the government step in to take action?

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Pepsi's Amp Up energy drink (another one?!) has created a free iPhone app that gives players "up-to-the-minute info, feeds, lines" so that they can talk to their favorite kinds of women — "24 in all."

Basically, men can either get tips before they score, or they can upload details of their hookups as a result of these indubitably useful apps after they score. Nice touch, Pepsi.

I would rename this the "wishful thinking app." Because what guy who would ask his phone how he should speak to a "punk" woman because she's "staring holes into him" is really scoring at all? I love when the guy in the commercial clicks on the punk cartoon girl and it takes him to a definition of punk ("Punk rock is a genre that . . ."). Wow.

This app may try to help a man score one of 24 types of women, but it seems to be marketed to only one kind of dude: a loser.

(Tell GeekSugar the weirdest iPhone app you've ever seen and read about Pepsi's official apology.)

Looks like Burger King isn't the only food brand that toes the line between cutting-edge and crass. PepsiCo, the maker of new energy drink Amp, has gotten flack for its latest iPhone launch.

"Amp Up Before You Score" is a free iPhone application that offers young men pointers on how to get in bed with 24 different types of women. Selections include "Sorority Girl," "Treehugger," and "Punk." Amp fans can then detail their conquests on the app's Brag List.

Backlash soon followed, with many accusing Pepsi of demeaning and objectifying women. Amp tried to appease the furor with an apology on Twitter, although it seemed to only want to heighten the buzz around the brand by introducing the Twitter tag #pepsifail.

What do you think of the move? Check out the video after the jump

I don't necessarily consider myself a feminist, but I know a sexist product when I see one. Remember the Slide to Unlock tee or the stripper pole Wii game? Yeah, those were awesome.

So when I heard about Pepsi's Amp Up Before You Score App that hit iTunes this week, I had to chuckle. I knew it was only a matter of time before the backlash hit — and oh, the backlash did in fact, hit. The app, which is meant to help you "score" with women, categorizes women into different types, and provides pickup lines, tips, and insights to each type — from sporty girls to cougars — and even provides a note section where you can list your successful hookups with names (and whatever details you can remember) so you can brag to your friends later.

Not surprisingly, Pepsi Amp issued an apology on their Twitter account, but have yet to pull the app from iTunes. I'm glad that Pepsi sees the error of its ways, however, maybe it's just me, but doesn't the female public as a whole deserve an apology that consists of more than 140 characters?

How did a dead frog find its way into a Pepsi can? That's the seminal question at the center of the latest food safety gross-out. Fred and Amy DeNegri, a retired couple from Florida claim they discovered a dead frog in a Pepsi can, and have plans to take legal action.

Fred DeNegri took a sip of a newly opened Diet Pepsi and started gagging. DeNegri emptied the can in his sink, but could tell that a heavy weight remained inside. He shook it until something resembling "pink linguine" slid out, followed by "dark stuff," his wife said. They took pictures and called authorities. It wasn't until the sample went into lab testing that the larger object was identified as a frog or a toad "lacking internal organs," according to the FDA report, which could not conclude whether or not the frog was there before the can had been opened. The FDA conducted an investigation of the Orlando, FL, bottling plant, and found everything in normal condition.

On a recent CNN show, two correspondents discussed the controversy, insinuating that the situation could be a hoax, or even planted by competitor Coke. I'm repulsed by the situation — how could such a large animal find its way into an aluminum soda can? Do you feel for the traumatized couple, or do you see this as another finger-in-the-chili fabrication?

Source: Flickr User qnr