Friday, March 26, 2010

Pepsi Max Cease Fire


Pepsi Cease Fire is...well...a frustrating drink. I was walking through Target yesterday, and on my way through the register, I just so happened to glimpse from the corner of my eye a Pepsi with a green cap hiding in the corner of the drink refrigerator. My thoughts immediately jumped to disbelief. 

"No...surely it couldn't be..."

Well, it is. It's Pepsi Max with Lime. I was almost giddy when I found it. I love lime. I used to drink Coke with lime all the time when it was still around, and haven't really had a lime cola since then (other than at Sonic), so this was a nice surprise. 

Now, the frustrating part. As I've said, I immediately knew it was a lime Pepsi, but even upon taking the bottle out and examining the label, I could not be sure right away. The drink is a disgusting example of cross-brand marketing, as Pepsi and Frito-Lay have "teamed up" (don't let the term fool you, Frito-Lay is actually a business unit within PepsiCo) to market this drink with some sort of new "raging hot" flavor of Doritos. The label is covered so fervently with advertising for other products that it took me a second to actually find where it says "lime flavored." Sure, there's a little citrus wedge on the label, but that doesn't mean much when it's next to a giant green flame with the phrase "cool the burn" printed next to it.

The label makes no sense. Also, carbonated drinks paired with spicy foods is a revolting combination. It ruins both tastes. Way to go, Pepsi.

Anyway, the beverage itself is good. It's pretty straightforward. Pepsi Max with lime in it. If you like the taste of Pepsi Max, then you'll probably like this modification. Much like Coke Zero and other "diet drinks that taste just as good but actually don't and still taste like crap," this one is still clearly a diet beverage. But it's good, especially with the lime.

Verdict: Recommended

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