OK. Most of you know I am a HUGE sucker for the shiny new object in the convience store glass front fridge showcase, so Pepsi's new JAZZ (meant to be read with waving opened palmed hands up by the side of your face with a wide eyed bigger than life - "I just loosened the lid on the salt shaker" smile) is nothing different. At first glance, the strawberries braving the creams rapid on a metallic label was a sensory overload. No person caught in it's over illustred gleaming luster can resist it's call. "Yeah you may want a diet coke- but LOOK at me...yeah? You know you want some of this...." - well of course I do. Not to be discouraged by my recent bout with Dr. Pepper's Berries and Cream SNAFU- I quickly indulged my I'd and snapped up not one, but TWO bottles. Why two you ask? Well the rabbit hole is a little deeper than we all might have thought. It appears that Pepsi didn't just buy into the whole "soda fountain drink mixes without the soda fountain" fad, instead they set the bar higher. It wasn't just "Berries and Cream" or "Cherry and Vanilla" - no, no, nooooo..... those are so yesterday. Instead they hit you with the one-two impulse buy punch. Check this out.... STRAWBERRIES & cream.... ehh? Yeah.... you KNOW you want some of this baby. "No one puts strawberries into cola- so it MUST be good", my id screamed. But just like any good Ron Popeil RONCO infomercial- there's more. Directly behind the strawberries & cream, there was black cherry and french vanilla! Well shit! At this point in time I didn't know what to think, and common sense was flowing out the window on a glistening river of JAZZ. I HAD to have both.

After cracking the lid and coming of a adrenalin-sensory overload-impulse purchase induced rush I sit here shaking my head. Not yes- but a shameful NO. I haven't even opened the Black Cherries and French Vanilla, and I probably won't because I recall somewhere along the line I had tried a Black Cherry and vanilla or cream and I didn't seem to like it. Touche Pepsi. Here yopu snagged me when I had already sworn off any cola and berries-cream-vanilla-lime-lemon product. Your advertising and art department deserve a raise. -Matt