Pepsi has always been in the shadow of Coca-Cola. But, did you know that in the 1990s, Pepsi caused riots in the Philippines because of a game? Explanations.
In order to compete with the big Coca-Cola, Pepsi wanted, in the 1990s, to wage a real anti-Coke war in Argentina, Chile, Guatemala, Mexico and the Philippines. To achieve this, the company launched a lottery : the ” Number Fever” . The principle ? In each capsule is a code accompanied by a sum and a security code. Every evening, on television, the company announces the winning number. Launched, this game allowed to monthly sales of Pepsi to go from 8.4 to 11.8 million euros in the Philippines, that is to say a market share having climbed from 19.4% to 25%. For Rodolfo Salazar, president of Pepsi Philippines, this operation is the “world’s most successful marketing campaign”. And, more than half of the population participates.
However, the situation took a less happy turn on May 25, 1991, when 349 was the winning number. Indeed, that evening, two grand prizes must be won. But, an unnoticed computer error turns everything upside down: 600,000 capsules bear the number 349 and have different batches. Results ? The next morning, hundreds of people came to claim their reward at the Pepsi factory in Quezon City, where law enforcement is mobilized to calm the situation. The next day, Pepsi recognizes its mistake and agrees to offer around 25 euros to all those with the number 349. A decision that does not satisfy. Vicente del Fierro, a priest in a Catholic sect, then took the lead in a demonstration and then in the anti-Pepsi movement. The following days areriot in all the countries. A bomb is even thrown at a truck and kills a woman and her five-year-old daughter. And, three employees die in a factory hit by a grenade.
This game will have done five victims. The police even accused Pepsi of having motivated this violence. Fact denied by the company. As for Vicente del Fierro, he died in 2010, without succeeding in convicting Pepsi.
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