Pepsi's ad offered a Harrier jet for 7 million points — one man did the math and sued

In March 1996 PepsiCo launched Pepsi Stuff, a loyalty programme redeeming 'Pepsi Points' for merchandise. One commercial showed a computer-generated Harrier jump jet landing at a school, captioned at 7,000,000 Pepsi Points — although the aircraft, worth roughly $37 million, appeared nowhere in the catalogue. What the catalogue did say was on the back of the order form: points could also be purchased outright, at ten cents each.

John Leonard, a 21-year-old business student from Washington state, did the arithmetic: 7 million points at ten cents meant the jet cost $700,000. He raised the money from five investors and sent Pepsi an order form, 15 genuine product labels and a check for $700,008.50. Pepsi returned it — spokesman Brad Shaw called the spot 'clearly a spoof' — and went to federal court asking that Leonard's claim be declared frivolous; Leonard sued for breach of contract and fraud.

On 5 August 1999 Judge Kimba Wood of the Southern District of New York granted Pepsi summary judgment: 'no objective person could reasonably have concluded that the commercial actually offered consumers a Harrier Jet', and its pilot was a 'callow youth' who 'could barely be trusted with the keys to his parents' car'. The Second Circuit affirmed in 2000. Pepsi kept airing the ad — but repriced the jet at 700,000,000 points and added a 'Just Kidding' disclaimer.