Fact Check: Pepsi is not giving free gifts to celebrate the ‘119th birthday’, viral claim is clickbait
Vishvas News in its investigation found that Pepsi is not running any such campaign. Pepsi India, while talking to Vishvas News over the mail, has clarified that Pepsi is not giving any such giveaway.
- By: Pallavi Mishra
- Published: Aug 29, 2022 at 12:30 PM
New Delhi (Vishvas News). A post is going viral on social media, in which it is being said that Pepsi is giving away free gifts on the occasion of its 119th birthday. In return, the public is being asked to reshare this post. Vishvas News found in its investigation that Pepsi is not running any such campaign. Pepsi India, while talking to Vishvas News over the mail, has clarified that Pepsi is not giving any such giveaway.
What’s in the viral post?
Facebook page ‘Pepsi Fans‘ shared the viral post, which read – “To celebrate @Pepsi’s 119th birthday, we’ll be sending a gift box of Pepsi to anyone who shares and says “Done”
See the post’s archive versions here.
Investigation
Vishvas News first did a keyword search on the internet. We could not find any news of any such giveaway by Pepsi anywhere.
No such information was found on PepsiCo’s website and social media handles either.
After that, we contacted PepsiCo via mail. “With reference to your email, want to bring to your notice this is fake. Pepsi is not running any such activation,” PepsiCo India’s Media Relations manager Shivalika told us.
Cyber security expert Ayush Bhardwaj explains “This process is called click-baiting in technical language. In this, users are asked to share the post by luring them with free gifts, lotteries, discount coupons, mobile recharge etc. Sometimes these posts have links as well. These links should never be clicked on.”
Let us tell you that Pepsi was created in 1893. At the time it was named Brad’s Drink, named after the pharmacist Caleb Bradham. The name was changed to Pepsi-Cola in 1898. This means that Pepsi’s 119th birthday or anniversary cannot happen in 2022.
In the last phase of the investigation, Vishvas News did a social background check of the Facebook user Pepsi Fans who had posted the viral claim. We came to know that this is not the official page of PepsiCo. This page has 15 followers.
Conclusion: Vishvas News in its investigation found that Pepsi is not running any such campaign. Pepsi India, while talking to Vishvas News over the mail, has clarified that Pepsi is not giving any such giveaway.
- Claim Review : To celebrate Pepsi's 119th birthday, we'll be sending a gift box of Pepsi to anyone who shares and says Done
- Claimed By : Facebook user Pepsi FANS
- Fact Check : False
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