Why SODA SUCKS...

A Public Awareness Campaign and Contest

July 21, 2011

Did you know that a "mega jug" of Pepsi is a half-gallon of soda that contains a full cup of sugar?

Where soda was once a special treat, it has now become a part of our daily diets. There are 10 teaspoons of sugar in every 12 oz can of soda, and a child's risk of obesity increases an average of 60 percent with each additional daily serving of soda. Yet, a study released in 2009 found that 41 percent of children ages 2-11 and 62 percent of adolescents ages 12-17 consume at least one soda or other sugar-sweetened beverage every day.

Obesity in young people is a serious problem in this country and the link between sugary soft drinks and obesity is clear. And yet, soda marketers target ethnic youth as a growth market.

New America Media is launching a guerilla marketing campaign called "Soda Sucks" to help educate youth and give them a forum to talk back to soda marketers. The entries can be a rap/spoken word, video/animation or illustration/artwork. The sweetener? $1000 for each of the five best entries.

With this in mind we've created a website that explains the contest. It is also loaded with inofrmation about soda. And we have a special page of easily-inserted banners that will fit any website. But we need you help... if you can insert a banner into your ad rotation or let your readers/viewers know about the campaign and contest in a quick post, we would really appreciate it.

The official website is here.