Dr Pepper
Dr Pepper is a popular caramel-colored,
carbonated soft drink marketed in the
United States by
Dr Pepper/Seven Up, a unit of
Cadbury Schweppes. The headquarters of Dr Pepper are situated in
Plano,
Texas, a suburb of
Dallas. The ownership of the trademark varies in other countries. There is also a no-
calorie version,
Diet Dr Pepper, as well as other flavors, such as
Cherry Vanilla Dr Pepper,
Diet Cherry Vanilla Dr Pepper,
Berries & Cream Dr Pepper, and
Diet Berries & Cream Dr Pepper. There is also a caffeine free version in both regular and diet varieties.
The drink was first sold in
Waco (
McLennan County),
Texas, in
1885. It was introduced nationally in the
United States at the
1904 Louisiana Purchase Exposition. The exact date of Dr Pepper's conception is unknown, but the
U.S. Patent Office recognizes
December 1,
1885 as the first time Dr Pepper was served. It is the oldest widely sold soft drink in production today, although
Hires Root Beer,
Vernor's Ginger Ale,
Moxie and several other regionally available soft drinks are actually older. It was formulated by pharmacist
Charles Alderton in Morrison's Old Corner Drug Store in Waco, Texas. To test his new drink, he first offered it to store owner Morrison, who also found it to his liking. After repeated sample testing by the two, Alderton was ready to offer his new drink to some of the fountain customers. They liked it as well. Other patrons at Morrison's soda fountain soon learned of Alderton's new drink and began ordering a "Waco." Alderton gave the formula to Wade Morrison, the owner of the drug store. A popular belief is that the drink was named after Morrison's former employer in Texas, but this has been disputed by the Dr Pepper company itself. They state that before moving to Texas, Morrison lived in
Virginia near a Dr.
Charles T. Pepper, and may have been close to Pepper's daughter at the time. The name is also reinforced by being an obvious play on "pep", i.e. providing quick energy to its consumer.
Unlike
Coca-Cola and
Pepsi, Dr Pepper is not marketed as a
cola. Dr Pepper's flavor is allegedly derived from a mixture of
soda fountain flavors popular when the drink was first devised. A partial list of these flavors can be seen at the bottling plant in Dublin, Texas; although the formula itself (with its twenty-three ingredients) is a closely-guarded secret. Contrary to a popular
urban legend, Dr Pepper does not and never has contained
prune juice. [
1] In Texas, Dr Pepper is extremely competitive in the
soft drink market, regularly outselling Pepsi and Coca-Cola.
|
The Dr Pepper Museum, located in Waco, Texas |
There is also a Dr Pepper Museum in
Downtown Waco,
Texas. It is located in the Artesian Manufacturing and Bottling Company building in
downtown Waco, and opened to the public in 1991. The Artesian Manufacturing and Bottling Company building was the first building to be built specifically to bottle Dr Pepper. The building was completed in 1906 and Dr Pepper was bottled there until the 1960s. The museum has three floors of exhibits, a working old-fashioned soda fountain, and a gift store full of Dr Pepper memorabilia.
Distribution
In the
United States,
Dr Pepper/Seven Up, Inc. does not have a complete network of bottlers and distributors, so it is sometimes bottled under contract by
Coca-Cola or
Pepsi bottlers. In about 30% of the country, the product is distributed by Pepsi bottlers, in about 30% of the country by Coca-Cola bottlers, and in the remainder it is distributed by bottlers that are not affiliated with either of those companies. In June 2006, Cadbury-Schweppes purchased the Dr Pepper/7UP Bottling Group and several independent bottlers to create the Cadbury-Schweppes Bottling Group (CSBG). CSBG now operates production and sales centers in 30 US states.
In
Canada, Cadbury-Schweppes has licensed distribution rights to
PepsiCo. In
Mexico,
Germany,
France,
Italy,
Sweden,
The Netherlands,
Slovakia,
Finland,
Austria,
Czech Republic,
Belgium and
Norway, Cadbury-Schweppes owns the trademark and distributes the product. In
Spain and
Greece it is almost impossible to find as it is usually imported from the
United Kingdom in particular supermarkets. In almost all of the other countries of the world,
The Coca-Cola Company purchased the trademark from Cadbury-Schweppes and distributes the product. This mixed worldwide ownership of the trademark is due to
anti-trust regulations which prevented Coca-Cola from purchasing the rights everywhere. Dr Pepper is also available in
Japan and
South Korea.
Dublin Dr Pepper
|
Glass bottle of Dr. Pepper |
The oldest Dr Pepper bottling plant is in
Dublin, Texas, a small town 80 miles southwest of
Fort Worth. In the 1970s, plant owner Bill Kloster (1918 – 1999) refused to convert the plant from
cane sugar to less expensive
corn syrup. Today the plant is still in operation, making Dr Pepper with real cane sugar. Dr Pepper of this nature is called
Dublin Dr Pepper. Contractual requirements long limited the plant's distribution range to a 40-mile radius of Dublin, an area encompassing
Stephenville,
Tolar,
Comanche, and
Hico; however, sales to individual customers in non-commercial quantities were (and still are) allowed, and the plant sells its product over the Internet. The popular Texas restaurant Chicken Express boasts serving Dublin Dr Pepper.
Since 2003, Dublin Dr Pepper has expanded their distribution to most of
Texas and is available for direct sales via the Internet. Originally, the drink came in 8 fl. oz. glass bottles. It is also available in 12 fl. oz. cans produced by the Temple Bottling Company in the nearby city of
Temple. These cans can be distinguished from normal Dr Pepper by the "
Imperial Cane Sugar" labels on the front (also included on the bottles) and a tribute to
Bill Kloster on the back. This should not be confused with Dr Pepper from
Dublin,
Ireland, where the drink is bottled by Coca-Cola Bottlers Ireland.
The
period after "Dr" was discarded for stylistic and legibility reasons in the
1950s. Dr Pepper's logo was redesigned and the text in this new logo was slanted. The period made "Dr." look like "Di:". After some debate, the period was removed for good (it had been used off and on in previous logos), as it would also help remove any medical connotation with the product.
 |
Screenshot from Short Circuit where Johnny 5 sends a picture of a Dr Pepper ad to a terminal at NOVA in response to a command. |
The movie
Short Circuit had many advertisements for Dr Pepper contained within it, including a notable
slogan ("Wouldn't you like to be a Pepper too?") used by the main protagonist
Johnny 5. Dr Pepper was also featured in cross-
promotion with several
Marvel Comics movies, including
X-Men 2,
Spider-Man and
Spider-Man 2. Likewise, characters from the respective movies appeared on Dr Pepper cans around the time of each film's release.
Godzilla 1985 had new scenes shot in the US, and in one a Dr.Pepper machine can be seen very prominently at the end of a hallway. Also, Dr Pepper is featured in many of
Tom Hanks' movies, most notably in
Forrest Gump and
Cast Away. Bottles of Dr Pepper are also shown on a table behind the characters in
That Thing You Do! when they are examining their new Play-Tone record. In the
Hate Plague story arc in the
Transformers animated series, the character
Wreck-Gar infects
Rodimus Prime with the line "I'm a Pepper. Wouldn't you like to be a Pepper too?". In the Movie
Family Guy Presents:
Stewie Griffin: The Untold Story, Brian and Stewie are in the desert and on the top of a hill they see a Dr Pepper Machine and run for it as they are mighty thirsty, but as the arrive to the machine the find it to be mirage and turns out its an RC Cola Machine. In the movie "The Life Aquatic" Jeff Goldblum can be seen wearing the "I'm a Pepper" shirt while he's being held captive by pirates.
Dr Pepper's "Be You" advertising campaign centered around commercials featuring pairs of popular musicians, including
LeAnn Rimes with
Reba McEntire,
Paulina Rubio with
Celia Cruz,
B2K with
Smokey Robinson,
Anastacia with
Cyndi Lauper,
Patricia Manterola with
Ana Gabriel, and
LL Cool J with
Run-DMC. The latter pairing featured a brief memorial to Run-DMC
turntablist Jam Master Jay, who was fatally shot before the commercial first aired. The campaign also featured individual musicians, notably
Garth Brooks and
Thalía.
Dr Pepper was introduced to the
Australian market in
1997 with TV adverts and low priced half-sized cans sold through supermarkets. Dr Pepper was sold in 1.25 litre plastic bottles until as recently as late
2004 (in some regions). It's only sold rarely in some regions now in Australia.
After withdrawing from most of the Australian market, Dr Pepper arrived without fanfare in New Zealand.
As of 2005, Dr Pepper is available in 335ml cans either sold separately or in 6-packs across the country in most supermarkets. It is also available from specialty and convenience stores.
On the December 20, 2000 episode of
The Late Show with David Letterman, Letterman jokingly referred to Dr Pepper as "liquid manure". After a representative of Dr. Pepper complained, CBS agreed not to rerun the Dec. 20 episode. Letterman repeatedly made assurances on the show that he was joking.[
2]
Dr. Pepper commercials were banned in quebec because of the name as it is considered derogatory to call Quebecers "peppers".
A failed attempt to distribute Dr Pepper together with
Squirt in Greece was made in the late
1980s and since then the only importer is the supermarket chain
Thanopoulos.
Several ads for Diet Cherry Vanilla Dr. Pepper appeared on television in 2005. Both were different in tone, but one stood out. The ad featured a young woman on a blind date at a restaurant who sips into the beverage, suddenly making her date, restaurant patrons, and even a server all part of a musical sequence involving the Muppet song "
Mahna Mahna". The ad single-handedly pushed the song back into popularity and created net buzz for the ad.
 |
1980 print advertisement |
*
1889–1914: "King of Beverages."
*
1920s–1930s: "Drink a Bite to Eat at 10, 2, and 4 o'clock."
*
1950s: "The Friendly Pepper Upper."
*
1960s: "America's Most Misunderstood Soft Drink."
*
1970s: "The Most Original Soft Drink Ever."
*
1977–1985: "Be a Pepper.", "Wouldn't you like to Be a Pepper too?"
*
1986–1997: "Hold Out For the Out of the Ordinary."
*
1997: "Now's the Time. This is the Place. Dr Pepper Is The Taste."
*
2000: "Dr Pepper, It Makes the World Taste Better."
*
2000–?: "Just What The Dr Ordered."
*
2001: "What's the worst that could happen?" (
UK and
Ireland- Still used to this day)
*
c. 2001 "Dr Pepper, so misunderstood"
*
2002–2004: "Be You."
*
2002–2005: "Solves All Your Problems." (used in
Europe)
*
2005–: "One Taste & You Get It."
*
2006: "Can You Handle The Taste?"[
3] (seen in
Denmark,
Finland and
Netherlands)
*
2006: "There's more to it"
USA*
Sugar Free Dr Pepper was introduced in
1974, reformulated in
1990 and renamed
Diet Dr Pepper. According to
Cadbury-Schweppes,
Diet Dr Pepper is the leading non-cola
diet soft drink.
*
Dr Pepper Red Fusion was available from
2002 -
2004 *
Cherry Vanilla Dr Pepper was released in some areas on
October 15,
2004. The beverage tastes similar to Dr Pepper but has stronger
cherry and
vanilla flavors added.
Cherry Vanilla Dr Pepper is the first drink in the planned "Fountain Classics" line of beverages from Dr Pepper, a range of drinks designed to taste similar to popular
soda fountain drinks from the 1950s. It is now available in all areas of the U.S.
|
Diet Cherry Vanilla Dr Pepper |
*
Diet Cherry Vanilla Dr Pepper, which has zero
calories, is also available. It was the pilot and was on the shelves before the non-diet version. The Diet version of the drink is now a pilot in Canada. Although disappearing for a short period of time, it has resurfaced in Canada, with the new logo design.
*
Dr Pepper Berries & Cream was released in most locations in April 2006. It is the second beverage in Dr Pepper's "Fountain Classics" line of drinks.
*
Diet Dr Pepper Berries & Cream was released in most locations in April 2006. It is the second beverage in Dr Pepper's "Fountain Classics" line of drinks.
*
United Kingdom's version of Dr Pepper has a different taste, very similar to
Coca-Cola Cherry. Along with the
Sprite and
Fanta soft drinks, a 'Z' version was introduced, meaning Zero added sugar.
Imitations
|
Cherry Vanilla and Berries and Cream versions |
Many imitations of Dr Pepper exist and can often be identified by the use of "Dr" or "Mr" in their name. One of the most well-known competitors is
Pibb Xtra, formerly called "Mr. Pibb", which attempts to emulate Dr Pepper's flavor. Sobe Beverages took its ginseng-enfused approach with "Mr. Green". Several other imitations include "Dr. Smooth" marketed by
President's Choice, "Dr. Hy-Top" marketed by Federated Group, "Dr. Skipper" distributed in
Safeway stores, "Dr. Chek" in Winn-Dixie supermarkets, "Dr. Bold" and "Dr A+" in
Albertsons supermarkets, "Dr. Perky" in
Food Lion supermarkets, "Dr Thunder" distributed in
Wal-Mart stores, "Dr. B" in
H-E-B grocery stores, "Dr. Bob" sold in Stop & Shop Supermarkets, "Dr. Weis" Distributed by Weis Markets, and "Dr. Celeste" marketed by
The Pantry, Inc. ,"Dr. Spice" distributed in
Target Stores, "Dr. K" distributed at
Costco locations, "Dr. Radical" made by Adirondack Beverage Company, "Dr. Shaw's" made by
Shaw's Supermarkets, Inc., "Dr Wild" made by J G Meyer First Choice, "Dr. M" made by
Meijer. Other generic versions are "Dr. Wells,' "Mr. Ahhhh" and "Dr. Rocket."
* Rodengen, Jeffrey L. (1995).
The Legend of Dr Pepper/Seven-Up (hardcover), Write Stuff Syndicate, Inc. ISBN 0945903499.
*
Dr Pepper official website*
Dr Pepper - A Timeline
*
The Highly Unofficial alt.fan.dr-pepper FAQ*
The Dublin Dr Pepper Bottling Company (in Dublin, Texas, U.S.A.)
*
Order Dublin Dr Pepper online*
The Dr Pepper Museum*
DPSU Article on Cherry Vanilla Dr Pepper*
Bevnet Review: Cherry Vanilla Dr Pepper*
Fake Dr Pepper Roundup, by James "
Kibo" Parry
*
Bring Back Dr Pepper, an Australian petition aimed at bringing back Dr Pepper
