Dr Pepper to Prescribe Itself Abroad

Dr Pepper, which has been expanding into Australia, Puerto Rico, Mexico, Russia and Britain, is planning its first foreign advertising campaign. The push will initially use a two-minute commercial created by Young & Rubicam, its lead agency. Outside of the U.S., the Dallas-based soft drink’s advertising theme will be “Dr Pepper: To try it is to love it.” The company is inviting consumers to try a soft drink with “an unusual name and an unknown taste.” Dr Pepper’s 1996 brand spending in the U.S. amounted to $42.2 million, a 21.3% year-over-year increase, according to Competitive Media Reporting. Dallas-based Dr Pepper is owned by Cadbury Schweppes of Britain.