I really like the way this story was told and shot. It kept me very interested and I couldn't wait to finish it. However, after watching this documentary, I am disgusted with Pepsi and their lack of morality. The fat cats at the top of the soda empire should be ashamed or at least admit fault that they ran an ad (that THEY approved) that was incredibly misleading and honestly false advertising. And what they did in the Philippines was simply unjustifiable. Plus the fact that the judge wouldn't let the defense depose anyone or have a jury trial was bulls**t. Pure corporate greed. Definitely a David and Goliath story that unfortunately ends like most corporate cases in America. Our justice system desperately needs revamped. In the meantime, I'll only be buying Coke products.
80 Reviews
Hilarious
gallagherkellie21 November 2022
I just read some reviews from other people and I don't understand why they think it was too long. It was only 4 episodes and the episodes are less than 40 minutes each. They go so fast!
I was hooked from the beginning. I knew nothing about this going in so I didn't know what the outcome would either. Some of the people in this documentary are funny, some are smart, some are stupid and some are creeps. It has it all.
Such an interesting story, I also liked the Philippines story and would like to hear more about that. So sad!
I know which I prefer (coke) and I know how I would have voted if I were on a jury deciding this case (there was no fine print - you can't say "it was a joke". It's like cheating on your wife then saying "it didn't mean anything". Give him the damn jet.) I laughed out loud in a few parts of this! Super enjoyable.
I was hooked from the beginning. I knew nothing about this going in so I didn't know what the outcome would either. Some of the people in this documentary are funny, some are smart, some are stupid and some are creeps. It has it all.
Such an interesting story, I also liked the Philippines story and would like to hear more about that. So sad!
I know which I prefer (coke) and I know how I would have voted if I were on a jury deciding this case (there was no fine print - you can't say "it was a joke". It's like cheating on your wife then saying "it didn't mean anything". Give him the damn jet.) I laughed out loud in a few parts of this! Super enjoyable.
David Vs Goliath.
Sleepin_Dragon24 November 2022
Back when advertising campaigns were very, very different, Pepsi launched an audacious, fun campaign, Pepsi points for prizes, 7 million, would get you a Harrier jet.....just fun right, not for John Leonard.
I have to be honest, I thoroughly enjoyed this four part series, first of all, it was refreshing to watch something that didn't feature serial killers and murders, and it was good to learn of a story I knew nothing about.
Plenty of really interesting interviews, it's a basic David Vs Goliath story, the little guy (albeit one with some hefty financial backing,) taking on a big corporate business, Pepsi co.
It's arguably a little slow and repetitive in parts, and four episodes was definitely too long, but I was never bored, there were plenty of interesting bits, including the insight from Avenatti, and the story in The Philippines, Pepsi did not come out of this looking too good.
Very interesting, 8/10.
I have to be honest, I thoroughly enjoyed this four part series, first of all, it was refreshing to watch something that didn't feature serial killers and murders, and it was good to learn of a story I knew nothing about.
Plenty of really interesting interviews, it's a basic David Vs Goliath story, the little guy (albeit one with some hefty financial backing,) taking on a big corporate business, Pepsi co.
It's arguably a little slow and repetitive in parts, and four episodes was definitely too long, but I was never bored, there were plenty of interesting bits, including the insight from Avenatti, and the story in The Philippines, Pepsi did not come out of this looking too good.
Very interesting, 8/10.
Marketing For...No, Marketing By Dummies
AudioFileZ21 November 2022
In a perfect marketplace products win by offering the best mix of attributes for the consumer over the competition. When this is no longer the case things get more complicated. The consumer must be manipulated in some way the actual product takes a back seat. For perpetual underdog soda manufacturer Pepsi to dethrone Coca-Cola the answer was spending huge amounts of money on advertisements, and, as this film details, promotions.
It's interesting a billion-dollar corporation like Pepsi would not do all due diligence when creating and rolling out a major contest. You can be sure they were exacting enough to scrutinize the increased sales over the course of a promotion, but to not understand what they were offering and, more so, the rules where points could be purchased is beyond lax. The Pepsi Stuff promo, with a top prize of a Harrier jet, was such a gaff.
John Leonard, a young college student, bought into the idea of this contest. At first he tried collecting the points finding it rather futile. Then he read the contest rules after picking up a Pepsi Stuff catalog. Realizing enough points for the jet could be purchased at far below the value of the actual jet was the moment things began to get surreal. Having a very wealthy friend comes in now. The friend writes the check for the needed points and John fills out a winning points request for the jet and mails it to Pepsi with the check.
The whole thing sounds like a smart-aleck trick by a typical teenager. That, however, would dismiss the sma@$$ corporation trying to manipulate the buying behavior of the public, particularly the youngest who are likely most susceptible. The moral of this story is if your company is going to play this game you should prepare for all possible outcomes. Pepsi definitely got egg on their face, yet somehow came out of it with minor scratches. One can only imagine what the outcome may have been had this case received a trial by jury.
I find this case extremely interesting. The film did a good job of explaining the timeline of the case and explaining what decisions John Leonard made at various junctions. Truth is companies making the products we buy are master manipulators who dig right down into our pockets without very much moral fiber. In the current market Nike comes to mind recently taking their product out of thousands of smaller retailers. Their endgame can only be to extract more dollars from each sale, perhaps even making product availability less while raising that margin. It's kind of like if the company is big enough they get to write their own rules unless they make a major mis-step like Pepsi. That said, it doesn't look like Pepsi is hurting. This is an entertaining look at corporate shenanigans that is highly recommended.
It's interesting a billion-dollar corporation like Pepsi would not do all due diligence when creating and rolling out a major contest. You can be sure they were exacting enough to scrutinize the increased sales over the course of a promotion, but to not understand what they were offering and, more so, the rules where points could be purchased is beyond lax. The Pepsi Stuff promo, with a top prize of a Harrier jet, was such a gaff.
John Leonard, a young college student, bought into the idea of this contest. At first he tried collecting the points finding it rather futile. Then he read the contest rules after picking up a Pepsi Stuff catalog. Realizing enough points for the jet could be purchased at far below the value of the actual jet was the moment things began to get surreal. Having a very wealthy friend comes in now. The friend writes the check for the needed points and John fills out a winning points request for the jet and mails it to Pepsi with the check.
The whole thing sounds like a smart-aleck trick by a typical teenager. That, however, would dismiss the sma@$$ corporation trying to manipulate the buying behavior of the public, particularly the youngest who are likely most susceptible. The moral of this story is if your company is going to play this game you should prepare for all possible outcomes. Pepsi definitely got egg on their face, yet somehow came out of it with minor scratches. One can only imagine what the outcome may have been had this case received a trial by jury.
I find this case extremely interesting. The film did a good job of explaining the timeline of the case and explaining what decisions John Leonard made at various junctions. Truth is companies making the products we buy are master manipulators who dig right down into our pockets without very much moral fiber. In the current market Nike comes to mind recently taking their product out of thousands of smaller retailers. Their endgame can only be to extract more dollars from each sale, perhaps even making product availability less while raising that margin. It's kind of like if the company is big enough they get to write their own rules unless they make a major mis-step like Pepsi. That said, it doesn't look like Pepsi is hurting. This is an entertaining look at corporate shenanigans that is highly recommended.
A Cool and Refreshing Documentary Series
KinoBuff20215 December 2022
This is a pretty good series! I know I was hooked as soon as I saw the trailer for the series, but the series lived up to my expectations.
Covering the Scandal and Court Case from the 1990's, Leonard v. Pepsico, Inc. This docuseries brings in both sides with John Leonard and his team speaking and Pepsi employees giving their takes from the corporate perspective. Both sides having their chance to speak and give their arguments although I won't ignore that this series is biased towards Leonard and rightfully so.
While I wish there was more to the series, it was the right length and kept you enthralled throughout each episode. Sometimes I feel a lot of the docuseries nowadays are overdone, but this was a solid series in everyway.
Be like John. Keep dreaming and working to achieve your dreams!
Covering the Scandal and Court Case from the 1990's, Leonard v. Pepsico, Inc. This docuseries brings in both sides with John Leonard and his team speaking and Pepsi employees giving their takes from the corporate perspective. Both sides having their chance to speak and give their arguments although I won't ignore that this series is biased towards Leonard and rightfully so.
While I wish there was more to the series, it was the right length and kept you enthralled throughout each episode. Sometimes I feel a lot of the docuseries nowadays are overdone, but this was a solid series in everyway.
Be like John. Keep dreaming and working to achieve your dreams!
You can't make this stuff up!
paul-allaer23 November 2022
As Episode 1 of "Pepsi, Where's My Jet" (2022 release; 4 episodes ranging from 36 to 43 min) opens, we are introduced to the cutting edge ad campaigns by Pepsi in the 90s, as the cola wars raged between Coke and Pepsi. In 1995, Pepsi launched the "Drink Pepsi, Get Stuff" campaign, including "7,000,000 points: Harrier Fight" (the military jet that can take off and land vertically). John Leonard, a 20 yo from Seattle, facies that jet and starts plotting a way to collect 7,000,000 Pepsi points. At this point we are 10 min into Episode 1.
Couple of comments: this is the latest from documentary producer/director Andrew Renzo )("Ready For War"). Here he looks back at the stranger than fiction story of how a 20 yo took on Pepsi over the promise/offer to give a military jet if one collects 7 million Pepsi points. Of course I'm not going to spoil how it all turns out, but let's just say that lawyers get involved. Lots of lawyers. The tone of this mini-series is firmly tongue-in-cheek, none more so than by the protagonist, John Leonard, who lives to tell the tale now a quarter century later, and his "can you believe this happened to me?" way of talking to us. That said, even though it runs only 4 episodes, there is quite a bit of fluff in this, in particularly as Renzi reflects on Leonard's ongoing friendship to this day with another protagonist in the story. Totally unrelated: I kept thinking to myself that Pepsi's ad campaigns in those days were indeed very much cutting edge. Whatever happened to that? We need a new cola war!
"Pepsi, Where's My Jet?" premiered on Netflix last week, and all 4 episodes are now streaming. If you are in the mood for a light=hearted "stranger than fiction" documentary, I'd readily suggest you check this out, and draw your own conclusion.
Couple of comments: this is the latest from documentary producer/director Andrew Renzo )("Ready For War"). Here he looks back at the stranger than fiction story of how a 20 yo took on Pepsi over the promise/offer to give a military jet if one collects 7 million Pepsi points. Of course I'm not going to spoil how it all turns out, but let's just say that lawyers get involved. Lots of lawyers. The tone of this mini-series is firmly tongue-in-cheek, none more so than by the protagonist, John Leonard, who lives to tell the tale now a quarter century later, and his "can you believe this happened to me?" way of talking to us. That said, even though it runs only 4 episodes, there is quite a bit of fluff in this, in particularly as Renzi reflects on Leonard's ongoing friendship to this day with another protagonist in the story. Totally unrelated: I kept thinking to myself that Pepsi's ad campaigns in those days were indeed very much cutting edge. Whatever happened to that? We need a new cola war!
"Pepsi, Where's My Jet?" premiered on Netflix last week, and all 4 episodes are now streaming. If you are in the mood for a light=hearted "stranger than fiction" documentary, I'd readily suggest you check this out, and draw your own conclusion.
Amazing storytelling
boself23 November 2022
Although I was in my twenties in the nineties, I didn't know this story (I'm from Europe). That means I didn't know the ending. Some people here commenting on how it could've been told in five minutes... I don't agree! I simply don't. Since it eventually became highly discussed law book material, it was complex matter.
I have to give kudos to the makers who did an amazing job in storytelling, crazy montage, chosing the music and making this a four episode fun and interesting to watch documentary. I dated a documentary maker so I watched first hand that making a documentary is a hatd and lengthy process. The makers definitely succeeded in making a good one.
I have to give kudos to the makers who did an amazing job in storytelling, crazy montage, chosing the music and making this a four episode fun and interesting to watch documentary. I dated a documentary maker so I watched first hand that making a documentary is a hatd and lengthy process. The makers definitely succeeded in making a good one.
A fun romp through a legal battle that made 90's headlines
angotti8118 November 2022
As far as documentaries go this one felt less one sided than most. It certainly keeps you rooting for John and his twenty year old dream to win a falsely advertised Harrier jet. But in the same token it really is a David VS Goliath story, and keeps it relatively light hearted. Pepsi is never overtly painted as the bad guy, and their Ad execs and creatives are allowed to chime in. John and his friend Todd share a great bond over climbing and it's heartwarming at times, especially the fourth and last episode.
If you don't know the end of the story DON'T look it up. I'm really glad I didn't!
As a docu-series goes it's fun , and has the usual twists and turns. Not a bad way to relax for an evening or two. It is not your average overdramatic drama, is mostly narrated by the actual people, with only a few scenes recreated. I dug it because I was a kid when it happened and never know the outcome.
If you don't know the end of the story DON'T look it up. I'm really glad I didn't!
As a docu-series goes it's fun , and has the usual twists and turns. Not a bad way to relax for an evening or two. It is not your average overdramatic drama, is mostly narrated by the actual people, with only a few scenes recreated. I dug it because I was a kid when it happened and never know the outcome.
Dude only wanted his jet
BlooberBob24 November 2022
Netflix documentaries strength is about telling a story about people. Whether he should or not should have a jet is an interesting topic, but that's not why it should be a 4 episode documentary. It needs that time for us to cozy down and immerse ourselves in the lives of the participants.
This a lovely ride to the 90s. A ride to make us remember when we were kids and looked at unattainable dreams in catalogues that offered prices to kids who seld magazines or collected bottlecaps.
I never got close to the big prizes, but my heart is with the kid who went for it.
You sell dreams you should deliver on them.
This a lovely ride to the 90s. A ride to make us remember when we were kids and looked at unattainable dreams in catalogues that offered prices to kids who seld magazines or collected bottlecaps.
I never got close to the big prizes, but my heart is with the kid who went for it.
You sell dreams you should deliver on them.
The usual Netflix storytelling
rmgaspar-49er20 November 2022
I'll just say it's incredible how NETFLIX picks up great stories, interesting subjects and presents us in 4 hours, 6-8-10 episodes. With people simply speaking and telling how something was. You are never sharing the excitement with them, you're getting bla-bla. Nothing relevant is seen, tasted. Reenactments are even worse.
Netflix would be great producing podcasts. IN this case, a 15-minute audio piece would suffice. It's a great story, but it doesn't mean it gets better because it's longer. That's a Netflix must - it treats lenght almost as Marvel movies.
I can only imagine people watching this in the ad-version.
Netflix would be great producing podcasts. IN this case, a 15-minute audio piece would suffice. It's a great story, but it doesn't mean it gets better because it's longer. That's a Netflix must - it treats lenght almost as Marvel movies.
I can only imagine people watching this in the ad-version.
Excellent storytelling!
mignonette126 November 2022
This is a rare gem of a docuseries! I don't usually watch feel-good documentaries but I'm really glad i watched this. It's often hilarious, the soundtrack is fantastic and perfectly timed, the editing and directing are so well done you can actually feel how much they enjoyed making this documentary, and how much fun they were having with it! If you're looking for a lighthearted story-time that asks it's audience for nothing but a few hours, look no further. You will not be disappointed!
(And now I'm filling space because i have no more words about the docuseries. I was stretching that review already 😅)
(And now I'm filling space because i have no more words about the docuseries. I was stretching that review already 😅)
Waste of time and money
dingusmalingus16 January 2023
Warning: Spoilers
Annoying kid and his rich old man friend attempt to exploit a 'loophole' in a soda contest to win an obvious joke prize of a Harrier jet. Spoilers: he doesn't even get the jet and turns down a million dollar payout from Pepsi in lieu of pursuing a series of frivolous lawsuits bankrolled by his wealthy older gentleman buddy. This Netflix series, and the entire story are a waste of everyone's time and money. A fine example of frivolity and single-mindedness that ultimately leads to nothing. The lesson, if there is one; always take the money because you're never getting the jet, you idiot child..
Way too much stuffing for a fairly simple story
sashamdawson13 March 2023
The underlying 'David v Goliath' story in this documentary is interesting, and the subject matter makes the series a fun lark. But the series is ridiculously over stuffed with scenes about extraneous detail, long re-enactments and descriptions of minor events, and is way over-produced with pop-culture footage. There's one part where the producers want to emphasise that two characters had become friends, but instead of just having the characters say 'we became friends', the producers inserted a minutes-long montage of stock footage of friendships. I found myself getting super frustrated at the slow pace of the main story from the first episode.
This has to be one of the worst examples of a story that could've been a good 90 film, which Netflix stretched out so that it could fit into a 'series' format.
This has to be one of the worst examples of a story that could've been a good 90 film, which Netflix stretched out so that it could fit into a 'series' format.
A single episode would be enough
vodkkaa20 November 2022
I didn't like the show because it dragged too much. The whole story could be told in 1h or so. The friendship and adventures are nice, but the mountain climbing had too much screen time.
The advertising by Pepsi was cool and clever back then. They had a nice promotion to trade points for items. The items in the catalog seems cool, I would like to get some of that merchandise in a promo like that these days, but I would probably just buy coca-cola lol
The documentary also shows some problems they had in the Philippines that were much worse than the jet issue. I wish they showed more about the Philippines and how that played out, instead of fillers.
The advertising by Pepsi was cool and clever back then. They had a nice promotion to trade points for items. The items in the catalog seems cool, I would like to get some of that merchandise in a promo like that these days, but I would probably just buy coca-cola lol
The documentary also shows some problems they had in the Philippines that were much worse than the jet issue. I wish they showed more about the Philippines and how that played out, instead of fillers.
False Advertising...?
royartiste-4829727 November 2022
Warning: Spoilers
I did enjoy this "docu-series". It had all the elements of a good tale, albeit, a bit overlong. But what sold me on watch this "Davis vs. Goliath" like tale, this "underdog" story, "Rocky Balboa" triumph of triumphs, was young Mr. Leonard washing and waxing his HARRIER JET in the adverts....
In reality, gripping tho the struggle was, full of peaks and valleys, moral conundrums and twists and turns. Young Mr. Leonard, skittering about beneath a HARRIER JET, polishing it as if it were his pride and joy...
That was a lie.
He did not win a jet.
PepsiCo. Squashed him as CorporateAmerica is wont to do.
The images of John Leonard polishing a jet as if it were his own, is False Advertising...
He did not win a jet.
PepsiCo. Squashed him as CorporateAmerica is wont to do.
The images of John Leonard polishing a jet as if it were his own, is False Advertising...
Don't be stupid. Take the money.
brownjoea28 November 2022
Warning: Spoilers
I generally despise big corporation shenanigans, but to me this was clearly a joke offer, and I never would have taken it seriously. I have to respect John Leonard for going all of the way, but when a company of that size offers you significant guaranteed money to let it go, then you should.
Pepsi has tremendous resources to fight this case, so the odds of John winning such an absurd prize was slim to begin with, and the money would have been far more practical for him than a jet.
It's a decent documentary overall. Nothing spectacular but definitely serves its purpose in conveying the story in a fun way. It's worth a watch.
Pepsi has tremendous resources to fight this case, so the odds of John winning such an absurd prize was slim to begin with, and the money would have been far more practical for him than a jet.
It's a decent documentary overall. Nothing spectacular but definitely serves its purpose in conveying the story in a fun way. It's worth a watch.
One of the most privileged stuff I've ever seen
SoulPicassa28 March 2023
Of course, while everyone else saw this commercial and went on about their day, hoping one day to earn enough Pepsi points to get a T-shirt or duffle bag, there would be ONE teenager who would expect a freaking fighter jet, who just happened to know a man with money who could help him get it. Besides all that, the docuseries was a little more interesting than I expected. It's worth the watch to gather your own opinion. It showed the naïveté and ridiculous mistakes made from both sides, yet I was more surprised with the stunts that Pepsi pulled to cover their own mistakes. Plus, I can't believe that after all these years, many people still can't taste the difference between Coke vs. Pepsi.
Interesting how corporate America works
hello-4112320 November 2022
Warning: Spoilers
I had no idea about any of this since I did not grow up in American in the 90s. Do not believe the bad review, this is something that got put I to law school textbook case study for a reason.
Spoiler alert!!! Do not read further if you like to watch the whole show and find out what happened if you don't already know!!!
================
Pepsi should've pony up if not for the fact their legal team failed miserably. This is just another big evil corporate trying to bury average people with legal fees and the runarounds because they could.
The chapter with the shady lawyer guy I actually find not necessary shady or blackmail if it's already public knowledge in this case.
The story is quite far-fetch but so is lottery right???
How the judge find that she can just block this whole thing or even deposition is beyond me. Watch this yourself... if you haven't already! Pretty entertaining!
Spoiler alert!!! Do not read further if you like to watch the whole show and find out what happened if you don't already know!!!
================
Pepsi should've pony up if not for the fact their legal team failed miserably. This is just another big evil corporate trying to bury average people with legal fees and the runarounds because they could.
The chapter with the shady lawyer guy I actually find not necessary shady or blackmail if it's already public knowledge in this case.
The story is quite far-fetch but so is lottery right???
How the judge find that she can just block this whole thing or even deposition is beyond me. Watch this yourself... if you haven't already! Pretty entertaining!
David vs Goliath. Goliath won.
bobwarn-938-5586728 January 2023
Warning: Spoilers
Its difficult to pad this out to the required 600 characters. Why can't a pithy review do?
OK. Well the plot is well known. The Pepsi Co pitched the adds at teenagers but the corporate, cold blooded judge disallowed the plaintiff to depose Pepsi executives, then disallowed a jury trial which might have allowed real people, targets of the advertising, to judge the misleading conduct of the company. She determined that a 'reasonable' person, clearly a clear thinking infomed adult (not the ads target audience) would conclude that the ad was a joke.
While it's most unlikely that the young guy woud actually get a then US$39 million military jet, Pepsi got away scott free. Wrong.
I'm surprised it was not appealed to the US Supreme Court. But hey, small guys don't have the budget of giant corporations, do they.
As a rider, demilitarised Harriers can now be bought from the bone yard at a knock down price. Some are actually now in private hands. Multi millionaire hands! The cost of getting them airborne, fuel and maintenance costs are only for the super rich, and corporations using them for air shows and movies.
OK. Well the plot is well known. The Pepsi Co pitched the adds at teenagers but the corporate, cold blooded judge disallowed the plaintiff to depose Pepsi executives, then disallowed a jury trial which might have allowed real people, targets of the advertising, to judge the misleading conduct of the company. She determined that a 'reasonable' person, clearly a clear thinking infomed adult (not the ads target audience) would conclude that the ad was a joke.
While it's most unlikely that the young guy woud actually get a then US$39 million military jet, Pepsi got away scott free. Wrong.
I'm surprised it was not appealed to the US Supreme Court. But hey, small guys don't have the budget of giant corporations, do they.
As a rider, demilitarised Harriers can now be bought from the bone yard at a knock down price. Some are actually now in private hands. Multi millionaire hands! The cost of getting them airborne, fuel and maintenance costs are only for the super rich, and corporations using them for air shows and movies.
Excellent!
SteverB23 November 2022
I was around in the 90s and have no recollection of this story, so this was a nice surprise from Netflix. To me, it was a compelling documentary of a David vs. Goliath story that was just the right length. The inserts of the mountain climbing were used to great effect to illustrate the dual stories of climbing a mountain and gaining a close friend out of an unlikely situation.
Pepsi was wrong. The idea that they all thought that their little "joke" in their ad would be "gotten" by every single person that watched was absolutely proven wrong -- that's what disclaimers are for. The "executives" from that time period, shown throughout the documentary, are STILL mocking this notion, 25 years later. "Oh, we thought it was a joke and right in line with our sense of humor!" The documentary proves them wrong over and over. This is well worth the time!
Pepsi was wrong. The idea that they all thought that their little "joke" in their ad would be "gotten" by every single person that watched was absolutely proven wrong -- that's what disclaimers are for. The "executives" from that time period, shown throughout the documentary, are STILL mocking this notion, 25 years later. "Oh, we thought it was a joke and right in line with our sense of humor!" The documentary proves them wrong over and over. This is well worth the time!
You be the judge
fischer_patrick3 February 2023
This was a fun and well designed and edited documentary. While I remember the Pepsi commercial in question, I was too young to understand or remember any news of the courtroom drama playing out in this David v. Goliath story. Overall the film presented the controversy in an engaging way that kept me entertained through the four episodes. If you were a child of the 1990s like me then this documentary is for you. I was surprised that in the end I had more sympathy for Pepsi than John Leonard and his team. When I saw the commercial as a kid I did not for even a fraction of second think the offer of a Harrier fighter jet was real. The real fun of this film is that after watching it, you can be your own judge about who was right or wrong.
Fun but a bit too long
pandora198819 November 2022
Warning: Spoilers
This was a very interesting case study in contract law. In all honesty, I think the judge should have awarded them something. I can see where kids might think it's possible...and I can see how an ambitious kid could have done so. Add in the fraud they committed in the Philippines and basically murdered a woman, I don't think I'll ever drink Pepsi again...not that I do much anyway.
There are some very interesting characters involved. They were all definitely go-getters. Kudos to them for going up against Goliath.
I will say this was definitely too long. It would have actually made a great movie. But, as a documentary, 2 hours would have gotten the story across.
There are some very interesting characters involved. They were all definitely go-getters. Kudos to them for going up against Goliath.
I will say this was definitely too long. It would have actually made a great movie. But, as a documentary, 2 hours would have gotten the story across.
A bit drawn out, but well made documentary
andrewimcdiarmid25 March 2023
Warning: Spoilers
John Leonard was to me, what a lot of kids who saw this advertisement on tv were like. That's mentioned several times in the documentary but it is absolutely true. I remember seeing the ad (here in Canada) and wondering why there was no disclaimer. The movie says there was, maybe it was changed or there's a good chance I just didn't see it, but very clearly in the American version, it wasn't there. And so the quest began to have one American kid get a Harrier Jet.
Now, there's tons of discussion about the rights and wrongs, but to me it seemed pretty clear: He should get the jet. Pepsi, my favorite soda company, made a big mistake. The documentary makes frequent references back to the execs who were in staff when this commercial ran, and except for the creative guy, none of them take responsibility for the glaring fact that they messed up. That's all there is to it. Now, let's also be clear, you understand why. Even with statute of limitations, there may be a way that the case could be re-tried so they have to deny, deny, deny. But the fact is, the commercial showed three other products and the Pepsi points it would take to get them and then the jet and the points required to get it. The pamphlet that was found on the Cindy Crawford display said you could buy the rest of the points to get to a certain point level. And Pepsi seems to be guilty of some pretty sloppy contests in the past. All of this is to say, it seems obvious that Pepsi made a mistake they wished they hadn't and then refused to own up to it.
One of the things that I noticed the documentary didnt really touch on or rather, that it avoided, was what 'the kid' would do with the jet if he got it and why he wanted it. It WAS touched upon in several occasions but there didn't seem to be a final statement made by John about it. Probably intentional. The jet is worth a lot of money and it became fairly obvious he wouldn't be able to fly it if he procured it, so was his intent to acquire then sell it? From what I gleaned, it just seemed that his intent was that he merely wanted the jet, and hadn't thought too much past that, but for his friend to pony up $700K it would seem a given that at the end of the day, John sells the jet and makes away with a huge payout. One thing also not fully spoken about was if John eventually ended up getting anything from Pepsi and how his lawyers got paid for their work.
Regardless, this was an entertaining documentary. John's mother does come off as a bit of a conspiracy theorist but a doting mom, and those surrounding John (even to an extent, Michael, his lawyer) come off as people who really care for someone who was a good kid with intentions that were more technicality based than greed.
My take? He deserves that jet.
Now, there's tons of discussion about the rights and wrongs, but to me it seemed pretty clear: He should get the jet. Pepsi, my favorite soda company, made a big mistake. The documentary makes frequent references back to the execs who were in staff when this commercial ran, and except for the creative guy, none of them take responsibility for the glaring fact that they messed up. That's all there is to it. Now, let's also be clear, you understand why. Even with statute of limitations, there may be a way that the case could be re-tried so they have to deny, deny, deny. But the fact is, the commercial showed three other products and the Pepsi points it would take to get them and then the jet and the points required to get it. The pamphlet that was found on the Cindy Crawford display said you could buy the rest of the points to get to a certain point level. And Pepsi seems to be guilty of some pretty sloppy contests in the past. All of this is to say, it seems obvious that Pepsi made a mistake they wished they hadn't and then refused to own up to it.
One of the things that I noticed the documentary didnt really touch on or rather, that it avoided, was what 'the kid' would do with the jet if he got it and why he wanted it. It WAS touched upon in several occasions but there didn't seem to be a final statement made by John about it. Probably intentional. The jet is worth a lot of money and it became fairly obvious he wouldn't be able to fly it if he procured it, so was his intent to acquire then sell it? From what I gleaned, it just seemed that his intent was that he merely wanted the jet, and hadn't thought too much past that, but for his friend to pony up $700K it would seem a given that at the end of the day, John sells the jet and makes away with a huge payout. One thing also not fully spoken about was if John eventually ended up getting anything from Pepsi and how his lawyers got paid for their work.
Regardless, this was an entertaining documentary. John's mother does come off as a bit of a conspiracy theorist but a doting mom, and those surrounding John (even to an extent, Michael, his lawyer) come off as people who really care for someone who was a good kid with intentions that were more technicality based than greed.
My take? He deserves that jet.
Stretched way too thin
Mr-Fusion27 November 2022
It was one of those "weird facts" posts always bouncing around social media, the kid that saved up the Pepsi points and then demanded the harrier jet he'd seen in the commercial. It was a wild story and a humorous consequence of reckless advertising. You can find plenty of YouTube videos on the subject, and that's probably as far as you should take it.
"Pepsi, Where's My Jet?" a pretty good 60 minutes of material padded way the hell out to 157; a series of unnecessary reenactments and loads of extraneous characters, and I repeatedly wanted the filmmakers to get back to the main story. And there's way more Michael Avenatti than anyone deserves. Yuck.
And the kid's being twenty years old made it seem less like a consumer wanting what's promised than just some guy gaming the system. I did learn a few things (and that's always good) but enough to justify the overproduction and distracted storytelling?
Nah.
"Pepsi, Where's My Jet?" a pretty good 60 minutes of material padded way the hell out to 157; a series of unnecessary reenactments and loads of extraneous characters, and I repeatedly wanted the filmmakers to get back to the main story. And there's way more Michael Avenatti than anyone deserves. Yuck.
And the kid's being twenty years old made it seem less like a consumer wanting what's promised than just some guy gaming the system. I did learn a few things (and that's always good) but enough to justify the overproduction and distracted storytelling?
Nah.
John is my hero :D
keikoyoshikawa19 April 2023
Warning: Spoilers
There are two ways to look at John Leonard's story: 1) A company makes a legally binding promise then tries to renege on it, and 2) A smart and determined college kid takes on a Goliath and wins? There's also a third - a bunch of ad guys thought they were brilliant but instead found out the hard way that they were morons.
This short series was well done. All the real-life people interviewed are characters onto themselves, but two stand out: John Leonard and Todd Hoffman. John was the heart and Todd was the brain and money-man of the operation, and together they came up with an audacious plan.
There were many obstacles, and the series does a good job of entertainingly taking us through the entire drama. One of the best part of the series is the honesty - I'm assuming - from everyone who were interviewed. It also helped that John and Todd came off as likeable and genuine people. Even the ad guys seemed decent.
In the end, with help from a colorful lawyer named Larry Schantz and another but less decent counsel named Michael Avenatti, the duo fought back. Did they win? Before you Google, watch the series :)
PS: I love that John was able to call up the Pentagon and talk to its spokesperson, and that the guy actually answered his question with sincerity and honesty.
This short series was well done. All the real-life people interviewed are characters onto themselves, but two stand out: John Leonard and Todd Hoffman. John was the heart and Todd was the brain and money-man of the operation, and together they came up with an audacious plan.
There were many obstacles, and the series does a good job of entertainingly taking us through the entire drama. One of the best part of the series is the honesty - I'm assuming - from everyone who were interviewed. It also helped that John and Todd came off as likeable and genuine people. Even the ad guys seemed decent.
In the end, with help from a colorful lawyer named Larry Schantz and another but less decent counsel named Michael Avenatti, the duo fought back. Did they win? Before you Google, watch the series :)
PS: I love that John was able to call up the Pentagon and talk to its spokesperson, and that the guy actually answered his question with sincerity and honesty.
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