Dr Pepper ran a promotion tied to the release of Guns N’ Roses’ Chinese Democracy.
In March 2008, Dr Pepper challenged Guns N’ Roses to release the long-awaited album before the end of the year. The company promised a free can of Dr Pepper to nearly everyone in the United States if the record appeared in 2008. The offer turned a famously delayed rock album into an unusually memorable soft-drink marketing campaign.
When the album’s release was confirmed, Dr Pepper said it would honor the pledge. The record arrived on November 23, 2008, and the company distributed online coupons for free soda. The promotion famously excluded former Guns N’ Roses guitarists Slash and Buckethead, although Axl Rose jokingly said he would share his drink with Buckethead.
The campaign did not go perfectly. Fans reported problems obtaining or redeeming the coupons after the album came out, and Guns N’ Roses’ lawyers threatened legal action against Dr Pepper’s parent company. The promotion is therefore remembered both as a clever publicity stunt and as a logistical mishap.