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• Soft drink company Dr Pepper announced that they will give a free can of their soda to "everyone in America" if Axl Rose releases his long awaited album Chinese Democracy during the 2008 calendar year. With the release of the album on November 23, 2008, Dr Pepper has promised to make good on its offer, opening up their website for fans to receive coupons.

  Fans of both Chinese Democracy and Dr. Pepper had difficulty logging onto Dr. Pepper's Web site to get coupons for free soda due to the large volume of Web traffic. Due to the increased demand, Dr. Pepper extended the offer until 6PM EST Monday, November 24. Dr Pepper: Free Dr Pepper Examiner: Free Dr Pepper demands killing servers - thousands going thirsty (November 23, 2008)

  In response to the problems, Axl Rose's lawyer Alan S. Gutman threatened legal action against the company, saying that "the redemption scheme your company clumsily implemented for this offer was an unmitigated disaster which defrauded consumers and, in the eyes of vocal fans, ‘ruined’ the day of Chinese Democracy’s release."Rolling Stone: Guns N' Roses Demand Apology From Dr. Pepper Over Soda "Fiasco" (November 26, 2008) The band is seeking a public apology from the company.

• I Want My Dr Pepper

  Due to heavy server load, fans who wish to take Dr. Pepper up on their offer may have trouble logging into the official Site of Dr. Pepper during the 24-hour free soda window which opened up on November 23, 2008. If fans are able to get on the site, they can fill out a form to request a coupon for a free 20 ounce soft drink. The Dr. Pepper customer service number is 1-800-696-5891.Dr Pepper Blog: Chinese Democracy When (October 23, 2008)

• Fast Facts

  1. Album release date: November 23, 2008
  2. Axl Rose is frontman of the hard rock band Guns N' Roses
  3. Band's major label debut was Appetite for Destruction
  4. Band was highly successful in the late 1980s and early 1990s
  5. Former members Slash, Duff McKagen and Matt Sorum formed the group Velvet Revolver
  6. Dr Pepper was invented in 1885
  7. Manufactured by Cadbury Schweppes

• Quotes

  "We are experiencing high traffic and are updating our servers. Please try again later or contact our consumer relations at 1-800-696-5891." - Dr. Pepper Web site, regarding free soda promotionExaminer: Free Dr Pepper demands killing servers - thousands going thirsty (November 23, 2008)

  "We are surprised and very happy to have the support of Dr Pepper with our album "Chinese Democracy," as for us, this came totally out of the blue. If there is any involvement with this promotion by our record company or others, we are unaware of such at this time."--Axl RoseGuns N' Roses: Press Release From Axl Regarding Dr. Pepper (March 26, 2008)

  "It took a little patience for us to perfect Dr Pepper's special mix of 23 ingredients, so we completely understand and empathize with Axl's quest for the perfect album."--Dr PepperBillboard.com: Dr Pepper Sweetens Pot For 'Chinese Democracy' (March 26, 2008)

• Related Mahalo Pages

  Guns N' Roses | Axl Rose | Dr Pepper | Slash | Chinese Democracy | Velvet Revolver | Guns N' Roses There Was a Time | Kevin Cogill | Chinese Democracy Download

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