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Lotan Diker

Documentary Series Review: Pepsi Where's My Jet, Director: Andrew Renzi, 2022

We all learn at a young age not to trust advertisements. The reality they transmit to us does not reflect anything. However, one student, John Leonard, decided that a promise is a promise and therefore entered into a legal adventure, when Pepsi went on a promotional campaign and promised a raffle of a fighter jet. It happened in 1996, and what was believed to be a harmless joke, became a case study in the history of advertising.



The Netflix company decided to create a fascinating documentary about the case, which introduces us with humor and lightness into the world of the nineties, which was full of sexual innuendos and bold advertisements, which would not be broadcast today. Alongside the narrative unfolding the fascinating plot, there are also in-depth interviews, which explain how the world of advertising has changed following the case.



There are not many innovations in the documentary series "Pepsi, where is my jet", but the retro atmosphere and the fascinating story, which pits the main character against a huge predatory corporation, are enough to enjoy an hour and a half of a different and mesmerizing binge. There aren't many stories so juicy, that no feature film could come up with something so far-fetched.



The conflict between the creative student and tailor John Leonard and the heads of the Pepsi corporation, who really don't want to put their hand in their pocket for a hanger, becomes a kind of humorous duel, in which one can take sides.



With all the series and docuseries dealing with dark themes and true murder cases, it's nice to have something light and upbeat, where someone finally fights a predatory corporation that thinks the joke is on us.



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