Published: October 15, 2007 04:59 pm            

Sierra Mist takes over Metropolis fountain

PLAINFIELD — Shoppers at Metropolis Mall here were surprised Saturday to find the mall’s huge fountain filled with iced cans of Sierra Mist Free.

Sierra Mist is a soft drink produced by PepsiCo. The lemon-lime soft drink was introduced in 2000 as a caffeine-free alternative to Mountain Dew.

The company recently unveiled its newest product: Sierra Mist Free. It’s touted as being caffeine free, calorie free, and sugar free.

Jim Poulter, director of marketing for Street Factory Media, said representatives of PepsiCo have traveled to 10 cities across the country to help promote and unveil the new soft drink,

He explained that PepsiCo has replaced the water in fountains in Seattle, Wash.; Portland, Ore.; Los Angeles and San Diego, Calif.; Austin and Dallas, Texas; Minneapolis, Minn.; Chicago; and Cincinnati. The idea, he explained, is to offer a taste test, asking people if they prefer water or the company’s new product.

What they actually prefer is less important than the fact that they have now tried Sierra Mist Free.

For the promotional campaign, Poulter said the company tries to pick famous or recognizable fountains, such as the one at Metropolis.

The fountain, located in Futura Park, can hold up to 8,000 gallons of water and performs seasonal shows every hour.

“They also looked at the Pan America fountain in downtown Indianapolis,” he added.

From noon to 6 p.m. this past Saturday, the Metropolis fountain was completely emptied of water and then refilled with ice and soft drinks.

Poulter said it took 700 22-pound bags of ice to fill the fountain.

He said about 200,000 people visit Metropolis on any given Saturday, so they brought plenty for soda along.

Poulter said a camera crew was stationed at each of the chosen fountains.

“The footage will be used to create a YouTube.com commercial that will showcase the real life experiences of the product,” he said.

For more information about Sierra Mist Free, visit the website at www.sierramist.com.



amanda.roach@flyergroup.com

        

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