Exactly four years ago today, I wrote about "The Pepsi Cheer".
The entry is below, and it turned out I wasn't the only one offended by the campaign. I did interviews and everything, and eventually we won. Pepsi killed their cheer.
If you've watched any hockey lately, you've likely seen the ads for Cheer Nation. Pepsi seems to think the voices of Hockey Canada's fans need to be united with an official cheer. They've unveiled this new cheer under the marketing banner "Cheer Nation".
I've got several issues with this. Let's see... where should I begin...
The Premise is Faulty
Team Canada hockey fans don't need to be united. We are united. It's not broken and certainly doesn't need fixing. As my Twitter buddy @vinaymenon said, Cheer Nation reminds us all of New Coke and other forced marketing gimmicks.
The Cheer is Shitty
The cheer, in case you've missed it, is Eh! O' Canada Go!. That's awful. I'd be embarrassed to be caught saying that in public. I think I'll stick with the tried and true. Ca-Na-Da! Ca-Na-Da!
We Aren't Owned by a Multinational Corporation
PepsiCo, Incorporated is in the business of selling carbonated and non-carbonated beverages. There's nothing wrong with that, but this "Cheer Nation" moniker and the cheer itself is theirs. Hockey Canada fans are not sheep. We'll be cheering for Team Canada, but not for Pepsi.
And one more thing before I leave this topic for good. Pepsi promises the names of the first million fans to join 'Cheer Nation' in support of the cheer will be displayed in Hockey Hall of Fame. Thank you, PepsiCo for devaluing that hallowed hockey shrine with one fell swoop. I can't imagine anything minimizing the accomplishing of being displayed in the Hockey Hall of Fame quite like that.
You can keep your Cheer Nation. I'm not chanting for Pepsi.
Ca-Na-Da! Ca-Na-Da!
