Dr. Pepper responds to Guns N' Roses

Soft drink manufacturer Dr. Pepper Snapple Group has responded to a letter in which representatives for Guns N' Roses called a publicity stunt by the company a "complete fiasco" and threatened legal action. The company promised a free can of Dr. Pepper to everyone in America if the new Guns N' Roses album, Chinese Democracy, came out before the end of 2008. With the record's arrival on November 23rd, Dr. Pepper made a coupon available at the Dr. Pepper web site for the free drink, but the demand caused the site to crash and made it difficult for everyone who wanted a coupon to obtain one.

According to the Dallas Business Journal, Dr. Pepper issued a statement on Tuesday (December 2nd) saying, "We are disappointed that G N' R's lawyers are turning a fun giveaway into a legal dispute. We simply commented on the delayed release of Chinese Democracy and openly encouraged the band to release it before the end of the year. Axl even expressed support for our efforts earlier in the year."

The company added that it had openly shared its plan with Guns N' Roses management before it launched, and that it had already taken steps to compensate fans who missed out on their can of soda.

In a letter to Dr. Pepper issued last week, attorneys for Guns N' Roses called the stunt "an unmitigated disaster which defrauded consumers and, in the eyes of vocal fans, 'ruined' the day of Chinese Democracy's release."