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The Dr Pepper Snapple Group (DPSG), formerly known as Cadbury Schweppes Americas Beverages (CSAB), is launching some heavyweight promotion for its core brands in preparation for its début as an independent entity trading on the New York Stock Exchange from Wednesday, 7 May.

The new company is linking its flagship carbonate, Dr Pepper, with “Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull” – the long-awaited fourth instalment of the Harrison Ford adventure film franchise, expected to become one of the biggest hits in US cinemas this summer.

An innovative promotion, the “Dr Pepper Passport to Explore with Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull,” will offer consumers a variety of ways to share the excitement of the film. The promotion will even send 23 lucky winners on their own Indy-style adventures around the world.

“Dr Pepper is Indiana Jones’ biggest fan, so we are thrilled to add even more excitement around an event that is 19 years in the making,” said Andrew Springate, Vice-President of Marketing for Dr Pepper. “With the 23 flavours of Dr Pepper, there is always more to explore, and we’re bringing fans more ways to explore and experience Indiana Jones this summer.”

The promotion revolves around an on-pack code game, and is being supported by an integrated marketing campaign including national print, television and online advertising.

Scratch-off codes

Game codes can be found under the caps or inside the wraps of specially marked 20oz (591ml) and 2 litre bottles, as well as 12x and 24x multipacks of Dr Pepper and Diet Dr Pepper. Other scratch-off game codes will feature in print ads, and more codes will be given away online.

Fans can visit www.drpepper.com or text in game codes to learn if they are instant winners. Dr Pepper promises that one in six codes will win prizes such as T-shirts, hats, free movie tickets, free Dr Pepper product, and much more.

The top prizes – adventure holidays in Egypt, India, Jordan or Peru – will be won by consumers who find one of 23 iPod Nanos hidden inside specially marked cans randomly placed in 12x multipacks. The Nanos will be pre-loaded with “Raiders March,” the Indiana Jones theme song, as well as an exclusive behind-the-scenes shot from the movie set.

Television and online advertising began on 1 May, while print ads will appear from Friday, 9 May. The Dr Pepper/Indiana Jones promotion runs to the end of July.

Cadbury Schweppes shareholders gave final approval in April for the plan to demerge CSAB from the UK group’s core confectionery business. The confectionery business, minus soft drinks, began trading as Cadbury plc on the London Stock Exchange on Friday, 2 May.