A new documentary is coming out about the man who sued Pepsi for a Harrier jet. “Pepsi, Where’s My Jet?” premiers today and tells the story of John Leonard, who found a loophole that allowed him to buy enough Pepsi Points to get a jet. During the mid-1990s, Pepsi introduced the concept of Pepsi points, which could be redeemed for merch. Prizes included baseball caps, T-shirts, and mountain bikes, with one upbeat television ad joking that a military grade Harrier jet could be had for a whopping 7,000,000 points. The commercial didn’t feature any sort of disclaimer, fine print or legal notice telling viewers it was all a joke, so Leonard became obsessed with getting the fighter jet. Since Pepsi Points could be purchased for ten cents apiece, Leonard bought enough to secure the jet, only to be told the Harrier jet in the commercial was nothing more than a joke. Leonard sued but ultimately, a judge ruled in favor of Pepsi, saying no reasonable person would think a Harrier jet was attainable by claiming Pepsi reward points. Do you think Pepsi should have been forced to hand over the jet? Why?
