The Pepsi Cola Shopping Spree of 1964 and 1965

Why don't we have these contests anymore?

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Alex Boese Alex is the creator and curator of the Museum of Hoaxes. He's also the author of various weird, non-fiction, science-themed books such as Elephants on Acid and Psychedelic Apes. Paul Di Filippo Paul has been paid to put weird ideas into fictional form for over forty years, in his career as a noted science fiction writer. Contact Us

Comments

I don't remember this one but I was working on a Pepsi truck when Mountain Dew hit town & helped deliver the 1st cases! We off loaded over 700 cases that 1st day.

Posted by Expat47 in Athens, Greece on 08/30/16 at 08:18 AM

Now, how would you do this on the "web", online?

Posted by Joshua Zev Levin, Ph.D. on 08/30/16 at 04:59 PM

Why doesn't anyone do shopping sprees anymore? Probably because some idiot would fall down and sue for damages.

According to the inflation calculator, $6200 in 1964 would be a shade over $48000 dollars today. And the "12 members of the family of Doctor Manuel Suarez" grabbed snatched up EIGHTY FIVE THOUSAND DOLLARS worth in 2016 money. Not a bad haul.

Posted by PupTentacle on 08/30/16 at 10:51 PM

They haven't completely disappeared. A local Piggly Wiggly had a contest to win a two minute shopping spree just three months ago. The winning couple kindly donated their prize to the local Meals On Wheels chapter, and the two representatives managed to score over $1,000 worth of meat. Details are at http://www.sheboyganpress.com/story/news/2016/05/26/meals-wheels-gets-grocery-shopping-spree/84980404/

Posted by Fritz G on 08/31/16 at 07:37 AM

By the way, the article in the link I posted called it a one minute spree, but the actual time was two minutes. Our local paper is notorious for getting small details wrong. Here is a link to the contest on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PlymouthPigglyWiggly/photos/pcb.238985376480233/238985173146920

Posted by Fritz G on 08/31/16 at 07:41 AM

Good catch, Fritz G! Nice to see this wacky tradition still in place.

I should have mentioned that the film THE PRIZE WINNER OF DEFIANCE OHIO has a spree segment in it.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0406158/

Posted by Paul on 08/31/16 at 09:30 AM

You couldn't use a cart?!? The layout of the store would have seriously affected your total haul. I wonder what they did with all that meat -- freezing it in store wrapping isn't a good idea. I also wonder what Pepsi would have done if some slow-moving, single, and frail senior citizen had won. They might, if motivated, get one can of beets within that time.

Posted by Phideaux on 08/31/16 at 11:26 AM

Right. Today's spree winner would be a participant who gets included in the group that has a believable fake fall and sues before the sponsor runs out of money.

Posted by Virtual on 08/31/16 at 11:47 PM

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