Energy drinks are meant to be edgy and cool, and drunk by young men. So PepsiCo Inc. decided to release an Apple iPhone application for its Amp Energy drink to appeal to guys out on the prowl.
Now the snack and beverage giant is facing a storm of criticism for "Amp Up Before You Score."
![[AMP]](http://s.wsj.net/public/resources/images/MK-AY897_AMP_DV_20091013190653.jpg)
Joe Schram/WSJ
The
app, released last Friday, purports to help men pick up any one of 24
types of women, such as the "sorority girl," "cougar," "rebound girl"
or "punk rock girl." Users can choose the type of woman they have their
eye on, then get coached on facts that might be useful, such as
computing a carbon footprint to impress "the treehugger."
Suggested pick-up lines can be risqué. To pick up "the artist," the
app recommends the following line: "You know the Mona Lisa has no
eyebrows. I wonder what else she shaves."
The app then takes the coaching a step further, encouraging users
who "score" to post details such as name, date and comments, for their
pals via Facebook and Twitter.
Hundreds of people have criticized the app via Twitter, saying it
contributes to the objectification of women. Adfreak.com, a sister site
of trade publication AdWeek, asks, "Does anyone not dislike Amp's
iPhone app?"
PepsiCo apologized in a Twitter feed, saying, "Our app tried 2 show
the humorous lengths guys go 2 pick up women. We apologize if it's in
bad taste & appreciate your feedback."
When asked if PepsiCo might pull the app, a spokesman said the company is looking at the situation and evaluating its options.
The
spokesman said the application is meant for iPhone users who are older
than 17. "The application was designed to entertain and appeal to AMP's
target," the spokesman said. "We'll continue to monitor the feedback
from all parties and act accordingly."
Amp—which like most other energy drinks is packed with caffeine,
sugar, vitamins and amino acids—has tried to be daring with its
advertising.
During the Super Bowl 2008, the brand aired a commercial that showed
a fat man who, to start a stalled car, attaches jumper cables to his
nipples and chugs the drink.
PepsiCo, based in Purchase, N.Y., like other consumer products
companies, has invested heavily in social media and may relish the
ruckus.
The app "is pretty edgy, but I guess its value is proven by the fact
that we're talking about it," said John Sicher, editor and publisher of
Beverage Digest, a trade publication.
Pepsi has been trying to reinvigorate sales of some of its top North American beverage brands.
The company has said it is pleased with makeovers introduced this
year as part of its "Refresh Everything" campaign, including logo
changes for its flagship Pepsi-Cola. But it ditched new packaging for
Tropicana juice in February after consumers complained about the
generic-looking carton that replaced the familiar picture of a straw in
an orange.
Its makeover of Gatorade has gotten mixed reviews. The company said
its "G" campaign has succeeded in deepening its relationship with
hard-core athletes, but some consumers have said they are put off by
the changed packaging.
Not everyone dislikes the Amp iPhone app. Boston dating coach Thomas
Edwards, at theprofessionalwingman.com, gave the app his stamp of
approval.
"This actually could be useful for someone you went on multiple
dates with," he said, in a video message posted on his blog. A guy
could pull up links to local vegan restaurants if he were dating a
"treehugger" type, he noted.
Mr. Edwards said PepsiCo jumped the gun by apologizing so quickly.
"Stop being negative," he said, addressing people who are quick to pass judgment. "There's no harm done here."
Write to Valerie Bauerlein at valerie.bauerlein@wsj.com and Suzanne Vranica at suzanne.vranica@wsj.com
Desensitize (de·sen·si·tize): “To make insensitive or unresponsive to a sensitizing agent.”