| Update: February 18, 2003 |
| |
| The Pepsi Boycott is over. According
to a Pepsico spokesman, Pepsi is setting up a 6-person steering committee
comprised of 2 people from the Hip-Hop Action Network, 1 person from the
Ludacris Foundation, and 3 people from Pepsico. Pepsi will administer the
$1Million fund dedicated helping children. The money will be disbursed to
several charities in multiple cities, and several organizations in each city
upon unanimous consent of all members of the committee. |
| |
| UPDATE February 6, 2003 -
Ludacris fans strike back with a
counter boycott - Pepsi is in the middle. |
| |
| UPDATE February 5, 2003 - On Fox News Channel's
"The O'Reilly Factor," host Bill O'Reilly today claimed he did not boycott
Pepsi. Boycott Watch responded with the following letter to Mr. O'Reilly: |
| |
Mr. O’reilly,
Even if you did not use the
word 'boycott,’ by declaring your intention 'not to do business with' and
encouraging your viewers to do the same, you declared a boycott by definition.
Your boycott worked. Pepsi changed their policy within 24 hours.
Fred
Taub - Cleveland, Ohio
Executive Director,
Boycott Watch
www.boycottwatch.org
|
| |
| UPDATE August 28, 2002 - Pepsi canceled plans to
feature rapper Ludacris as spokesperson after Fox News commentator Bill
O'Reilly declares a boycott. - Boycott worked in less than 24
hours. |
| |
| According to The O'Reilly Factor,
Pepsi was inundated with thousands of phone calls from irate Factor viewers
regarding the Ludacris ads. As a result, Pepsi announced they would not air the
ads. |
| |
| BW Comment: Boycotts work. |
| |
| ----- original announcement ------ |
| |
| August 27, 2002 - Fox News Channel
commentator and host of The O'Reilly Factor urges people to boycott Pepsi after
decided to run commercials featuring rapper Ludacris. The boycott is based on
Pepsi hiring a spokesman who is "peddling antisocial behavior" according to
O'Reilly. |
| |
| On The O'Reilly Factor, Bill O'Reilly
played an on air conversation with Bart Casabona, a Pepsi Public Relations
spokesman. |
| |
| In the conversation, O'Reilly said:
"Pepsi-Cola's made gazillions of dollars in America but apparently feels it has
no responsibility to further the public good. This guy Ludacris is harmless to
mature adults, but not to impressionable children that lack parental
guidance. |
| |
| "Obviously Pepsi could not care less
about those children, because they're promoting a man that espouses violence,
degrading sex, and substance abuse. |
| |
| "So here's the deal, Pepsi. You want
to cultivate Ludacris? Fine. I'm drinking Coke. I'm sending you a message. I
don't like your choice of pitchmen, so Dr. Pepper is now on my menu." |
| |
| In the conversation, Casabona denied
that any lewd or degrading music by Ludacris has any effect on Pepsi since
Ludacris was representing fun in the Pepsi ads, but did not deny that
Ludacris's lyrics were controversial at best. |
| |
| Boycott Watch will submit requests
for comments to Pepsi and O'Reilly. The full responses will be posted
here. |
| |
| Click here to read the
article and interview on the Fox News Channel web site |
