Drinking diet soda can help cut calories and stir up controversy.
PepsiCo’s new, slimmer Diet Pepsi can is undergoing scrutiny across the nation and the University’s campus.
Unveiled at New York’s fall 2011 Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week, the can is said to celebrate “beautiful, confident women.”
“Our slim, attractive new can is the perfect complement to today’s most stylish looks,” PepsiCo Chief Marketing Officer Jill Beraud said in a news release. “We’re excited to throw its coming-out party during the biggest celebration of innovative design in the world.”
However, some draw different meaning from Pepsi’s campaign.
Lynn Grefe, president and CEO of the National Eating Disorders Association, said it’s pathetic that a company as massive as Pepsi needs to “denigrate the majority of women in this country to sell their products.”
“PepsiCo’s comments are both thoughtless and irresponsible,” Grefe said in a news release. “Their shameful misdirection is further exemplified by tying the launch of this offensive marketing campaign to Fashion Week, where women’s body types are atypical at best … [and] fatal at worst.”
Grefe said while the campaign probably won’t make anyone suddenly develop an eating disorder, it may push people with a low body image to start obsessively dieting.
“That’s kind of weird,” said Sara McManamon, communications disorders junior. “That’s supposed to make me want to be skinny?”
Fred Garrett, history sophomore, agreed the marketing is flawed.
“It’s not exactly promoting healthy body images,” Garrett said.
However, a few students thought the campaign wasn’t meant to imply that skinnier women are prettier.
“It kind of makes sense,” said Laura Durio, chemical engineering freshman. “People drink diet drinks because they want to lose weight.”
Maggie Justice, communication disorders freshman, said the effect of the campaign has been exaggerated.
“I don’t think it’s that big of a deal. People get offended over everything,” Justice said.
Pepsi has responded to the outcry, saying it never intended to equate beauty with thinness.
“This interpretation … is definitely not our intent,” a Pepsi spokeswoman said in a news release.
The skinny can is set to launch in March, alongside the original Diet Pepsi can.
 
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Contact Tyler Balkom at [email protected]