Pepsi, ¿dónde está mi avión?

Although I was in my twenties in the nineties, I didn't know this story (I'm from Europe). That means I didn't know the ending. Some people here commenting on how it could've been told in five minutes... I don't agree! I simply don't. Since it eventually became highly discussed law book material, it was complex matter.

I have to give kudos to the makers who did an amazing job in storytelling, crazy montage, chosing the music and making this a four episode fun and interesting to watch documentary. I dated a documentary maker so I watched first hand that making a documentary is a hatd and lengthy process. The makers definitely succeeded in making a good one.

As Episode 1 of "Pepsi, Where's My Jet" (2022 release; 4 episodes ranging from 36 to 43 min) opens, we are introduced to the cutting edge ad campaigns by Pepsi in the 90s, as the cola wars raged between Coke and Pepsi. In 1995, Pepsi launched the "Drink Pepsi, Get Stuff" campaign, including "7,000,000 points: Harrier Fight" (the military jet that can take off and land vertically). John Leonard, a 20 yo from Seattle, facies that jet and starts plotting a way to collect 7,000,000 Pepsi points. At this point we are 10 min into Episode 1.

Couple of comments: this is the latest from documentary producer/director Andrew Renzo )("Ready For War"). Here he looks back at the stranger than fiction story of how a 20 yo took on Pepsi over the promise/offer to give a military jet if one collects 7 million Pepsi points. Of course I'm not going to spoil how it all turns out, but let's just say that lawyers get involved. Lots of lawyers. The tone of this mini-series is firmly tongue-in-cheek, none more so than by the protagonist, John Leonard, who lives to tell the tale now a quarter century later, and his "can you believe this happened to me?" way of talking to us. That said, even though it runs only 4 episodes, there is quite a bit of fluff in this, in particularly as Renzi reflects on Leonard's ongoing friendship to this day with another protagonist in the story. Totally unrelated: I kept thinking to myself that Pepsi's ad campaigns in those days were indeed very much cutting edge. Whatever happened to that? We need a new cola war!

"Pepsi, Where's My Jet?" premiered on Netflix last week, and all 4 episodes are now streaming. If you are in the mood for a light=hearted "stranger than fiction" documentary, I'd readily suggest you check this out, and draw your own conclusion.

Netflix documentaries strength is about telling a story about people. Whether he should or not should have a jet is an interesting topic, but that's not why it should be a 4 episode documentary. It needs that time for us to cozy down and immerse ourselves in the lives of the participants.

This a lovely ride to the 90s. A ride to make us remember when we were kids and looked at unattainable dreams in catalogues that offered prices to kids who seld magazines or collected bottlecaps.

I never got close to the big prizes, but my heart is with the kid who went for it.

You sell dreams you should deliver on them.

I didn't like the show because it dragged too much. The whole story could be told in 1h or so. The friendship and adventures are nice, but the mountain climbing had too much screen time.

The advertising by Pepsi was cool and clever back then. They had a nice promotion to trade points for items. The items in the catalog seems cool, I would like to get some of that merchandise in a promo like that these days, but I would probably just buy coca-cola lol

The documentary also shows some problems they had in the Philippines that were much worse than the jet issue. I wish they showed more about the Philippines and how that played out, instead of fillers.

This is a pretty good series! I know I was hooked as soon as I saw the trailer for the series, but the series lived up to my expectations.

Covering the Scandal and Court Case from the 1990's, Leonard v. Pepsico, Inc. This docuseries brings in both sides with John Leonard and his team speaking and Pepsi employees giving their takes from the corporate perspective. Both sides having their chance to speak and give their arguments although I won't ignore that this series is biased towards Leonard and rightfully so.

While I wish there was more to the series, it was the right length and kept you enthralled throughout each episode. Sometimes I feel a lot of the docuseries nowadays are overdone, but this was a solid series in everyway.

Be like John. Keep dreaming and working to achieve your dreams!