As part of the marketing strategy for its new “energy” drink, Amp, Pepsi has allowed an iPhone application called “Amp Up Before you Score” to hit the webosphere. The app gives users (heterosexual men, one assumes) helpful information about any of 24 types of women in an effort to improve these lotharios’ chances of a successful pickup. Each female stereotype is given a description and a corresponding set of menus that can expand to provide vital seduction facts. The description for the “Sorority Girl,” for example, is “This shouldn’t be a problem.” The app provides potential pickup lines, a key for identifying her Greek letters, a list of Spring Break tweets, and a menu entitled “What frat are you in?” One assumes this is meant to provide ammunition for the potential suitor to support his fraudulent affiliation with a fraternity (because we all know that women in sororities only ever have sex with frat boys).
Here’s a Slate video report on the app:
Once word got out about this application, the public was outraged. Pepsi set up a Twitter site to allow/encourage men to report on their success with the Amp Up app. Complaints poured in, prompting Pepsi to issue a Twitter apology: “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. #pepsifail.” The problem, however, is that Pepsi has neither taken down the iPhone app nor the corresponding Twitter “bragging” thread. I’m sorry, but Pepsi can’t have it both ways here. (more…)
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