Hip Hip Hurrah!!! Those of you who were so passionate about the Tropicana OJ debacle have scored a victory against the forces of genericism. “The PepsiCo Americas Beverages division of PepsiCo is bowing to public demand and scrapping the changes made to a flagship product, Tropicana Pure Premium orange juice,” writes Stuart Elliott in the Times. “Redesigned packaging that was introduced in early January is being discontinued … and the previous version will be brought back in the next month.” For all who mourned the loss of the emblematic orange with protruding straw (looks better than it sounds), your voices have been heard. Now that’s a stimulus plan.
By the way, just so you don’t think too ill of the Arnell Group, the perpetrators of the Tropicana and Pepsi rebrandings, at bottom is Peter Arnell’s Peapod Mobility car for Chrysler Corp, the so-called “neighborhood electric vehicle” that will sell for $12,500. The company plans to produce 25,000 to start, and deliveries begin in the fall. My friend Phil Patton says it reminds him of Flipper. (I say Orca the Happy Killer Whale.) Mr. Arnell says he doesn’t want to even call it a car, preferring to think of it as a personal transport pod–an iPod on wheels, with a new moniker: “mobi.” Hip Hip Hurrah for branding!!!
And, to change the subject, for those who expressed regret that Joe Ades, the legendary Union Square peeler peddler who passed away, here’s an update: His daughter Ruth Ades-Laurent (below) has picked up the baton and is peeling in memory of her dad.