New York State Women Inc. is taking a stand against the Dr. Pepper/Snapple Group Inc.'s marketing of a new 10 calorie diet drink designed to appeal only to men. The company, which is headquartered here in New York State, airs a commercial that explicitly states “Dr. Pepper Ten, it’s Not for Women”, which began airing in October.
Macho-looking men driving around the jungle, killing snakes and spilling soda, stating “Dr. Pepper Ten, it's Not for Women”, may not seem offensive to women in itself. However, couple it with lines like, "Hey ladies, enjoying the film? Of course not because it is our movie,” and "so you can keep the romantic comedies and lady drinks. We're good.," and the message becomes clear. Now try to go to the Dr. Pepper Ten Facebook page… oh no, you can't, if your profile suggests you are a female. National Organization for Women (NOW) researchers had to use a man's Facebook page in order to “sneak” into the Dr. Pepper Ten Facebook page.
Once on the page, they found more sexual nonsense, such as quizzes, games and videos aimed at being “manly.” There's a shooting gallery, where men can fire away at "girly" stuff, such as pink bows, red lipstick and sunflowers.
Come on Snapple, wise up and smell the “Dr. Pepper!” While this marketing campaign is targeted at men, many women love sports, cars, and adventure just as much as lipstick. Anita Lederer, Field Organizer for NOW, states that “The Dr Pepper Ten commercial and Facebook page suggest that men continue to dominate the advertising industry.” I find this ad campaign offensive and chauvinistic, and if you agree, send your comments to the Executive Vice President of Corporate Affairs, Tina Barry, at http://www.drpeppersnapplegroup.com/company/leadership/ Let Dr. Pepper/Snapple know you will not be spending your “pink bow & lipstick” dollars on Dr. Pepper or any other Snapple products.
And that brings up another point. It’s up to us to foster self- esteem in our young girls and women. More now than ever, women are being portrayed as sexual objects in the media. Is this the message that we want our future generations to hear? Let your voice be heard now because New York State Women Inc. members are “Loud and Proud!”