Dr Pepper Ten: 'No women allowed' - Houston Chronicle

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NEW YORK - Dudes don't drink diet.

Or at least that's the idea behind Dr Pepper Ten, a new 10-calorie soft drink with a macho ad campaign that proclaims "It's not for women." The soft drink was developed after the company's research found that men shy away from diet drinks that aren't perceived as "manly" enough.

To appeal to men, Ten has calories and sugar, unlike its Diet Dr Pepper counterpart. Instead of the dainty tan bubbles on the diet can, Ten is wrapped in gunmetal gray packaging with silver bullets. And while Diet DP's marketing is women-friendly, the ad campaign for Ten goes out of its way to eschew women.

The Dr Pepper Ten Facebook page for men only offers a shooting gallery where visitors shoot things like high heels and lipstick, for example. The page's "man quiz" includes questions on fishing and hunting.

TV commercials are heavy on the machismo, including one spot that shows muscular men in the jungle battling snakes and bad guys. "Hey ladies. Enjoying the film? Of course not. Because this is our movie, and this is our soda," a man says as he attempts to pour the soda into a glass during a bumpy ATV ride. "You can keep the romantic comedies and lady drinks. We're good."

Dr Pepper Ten is not the first diet soda aimed at men. (Think: Coke Zero and Pepsi Max.) But Dr Pepper Ten's ad campaign is the first to be so overt about courting men who want to drink a soda with fewer calories. The ads come at a time when overall sales in the $74 billion soft-drink industry are slowing as more Americans buy healthier options such as juice and bottled water.

Dr Pepper said men, in particular, are dissatisfied with the taste and image of diet drinks. The company wouldn't disclose the formula of Dr Pepper Ten, but said that the drink has 10 calories and 2 grams of sugar, which gives it a sweeter taste. Ten contains all 23 flavors that are in regular Dr Pepper (which has 150 calories and 27 grams of sugar per can).

As for whether the ads will resonate with men remains to be seen. Paul McDonald, 25, who works in green energy contracts in Berkley, Calif., says he drinks soda labeled "diet" and doesn't think there is any stigma attached.

"No one has ever made fun of me for drinking a Diet Coke, and I'm on a rugby team. We make fun of each other for everything," he said.

13 Oct, 2011


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