DR PEPPER DRINK | What's the worst that could happen? | 2001
Stretchered Out in His Underwear, Live on Local News / DR PEPPER "EMERGENCY"
In 2001, Mother London launched a campaign called "What's the worst that could happen?" aimed at teens in the UK market. This is one of the ads from that campaign — a comedy commercial where the moment you pick up a DR PEPPER, the actual "worst" really does happen to you.
The problem
Coca-Cola GB brought in Mother London and launched a new campaign in 2001 aimed at "building a strong relationship with British teens." The core message of the campaign was the question, "What's the worst that could happen?"
The idea
A boy at the supermarket picks up a DR PEPPER, and when he closes the fridge door, the shelves collapse and he's buried under boxes. Paramedics cut off his clothes to free him, then carry him out on a stretcher in nothing but his underwear, past onlookers inside and outside the store — especially in front of girls. To make things worse, the whole scene is being broadcast live on local news. It piles on every nightmare a kid in his teens (10s) could imagine. At the end, the jingle "Dr Pepper; what's the worst that could happen?" plays.
What happened
The creative directors were Robert Saville and Mark Waites, the copywriters were Yan Elliott and Luke Williamson, production was handled by Hungry Man, and the director was Brian Buckley. The only award noted is "GOLD" (the specific award name couldn't be confirmed).
Afterthought
For a soda commercial aimed at UK teens back in 2001 to go this far in mercilessly poking at teenage embarrassment must have felt pretty daring at the time. Even watching it now, the sheer ruthlessness is funny. I kind of love how it takes "the worst" and pushes it even further than you'd expect.
Awards
- Cannes Lions Gold 2001
