Diet Pepsi

"I think I like tall and skinny instead of short and fat," I said to my husband. His reaction was just to chuckle.

And no, I'm not talking about body type. I'm talking about a can... a Pepsi can... the Diet Pepsi Skinny can to be exact. The other day I printed a buy one get one free coupon for the Diet Pepsi skinny cans, so I decided to try them out. To my surprise, who would have thought that a can could feel so different! I think they just sort of fit better in your hand, and quite honestly, they have a better look about them.... sort of a bit more sophisticated looking and classy. I know, it's just a piece of aluminum, but the design just seems to work.

Tall and skinny has sort of gotten a bad rap over the past years, especially when it comes to the media. Magazine models are all so tall and skinny, and of course, this has sort of become the look that young girls try to achieve. It is highly discouraged, but none the less, it is pushed in the media.

Well, as I had the idea to write about my preference to the skinny can, I decided to do a Google search on the Skinny can. I had no idea that the Pepsi Skinny can had gotten a bad rap in the media for being exactly that... tall and skinny. Evidently the can was released as a part of Fashion Week back in February, and the design was intended to be exactly as I described it above.... to have a more stylish look about it. Apparently not everyone liked the skinny part.

Upon the release of the Pepsi Skinny can, the head of the National Eating Disorders Association made this statement:

"The campaign celebrates being skinny and suggests that strong, confident women must be so. That the Skinny Can campaign is being paired with Fashion Week, an event put on by an industry that has had to address eating disorders among its model ranks, is particularly problematic," says Grefe.

My response to this..... OH MY GOODNESS! First of all, I am not tall and skinny myself, and I was not the least bit offended by the can. It didn't make me say, "OH, I better go on a diet!!" I don't think the can pushes the attitude that 'skinny is best'. On the other hand, I think this was a great opportunity for the NEDA to bring awareness to the problem of eating disorders. Young girls do suffer from body image disorders and it should be recognized. It is my feeling though that they simply jumped on the idea of using the Skinny Can because it was readily available in the media, therefore it could easily be used to bring awareness to the problem. Not a bad marketing tactic on their part either.

Needless to say, I still like the Skinny Can!

Which do you prefer.... short and fat or tall and skinny? and do you think the design of the can is sending a message to the consumer?