Just what the Dr. ordered

It's not exactly free health care, but as of right now, you can now get a free 'appointment' with Dr. Pepper.

The soft-drink maker said earlier this year that it would give a free soda to everyone in America if Guns N' Roses released its "Chinese Democracy" album before the end of 2008. The album, which has been famously delayed since recording began in 1994, goes on sale today (Sunday).

And what the heck is the connection here?

"It took a little patience to perfect Dr Pepper's special mix of 23 ingredients, which our fans have come to know and love. So we completely understand and empathize with Axl's quest for perfection -- for something more than the average album. We know once it's released, people will refer to it as 'Dr Pepper for the ears' because it will be such a refreshing blend of rich, bold sounds - an instant classic." - Dr Pepper director of marketing Jaxie Alt.

Coupons for a free 20-ounce Dr. Peppers will be available for 24 hours on Dr Pepper's Web site. They'll be honored until Feb. 28.

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Happy Birthday, Leen!

Desperately seeking bridesmaid...

Picking your bridesmaids might be almost as difficult a task as paying for your wedding, but a Virginia Beach bride-to-be has put the decision in the hands of America, killing two birds with one auction.

Kerry Gray, a 23-year-old hairdresser, recently posted the opportunity to be a bridesmaid in her August 2009 wedding up on eBay in an effort to keep wedding costs under $7,000. Little did she know that placing the spot up for bid would not only save her money, but earn her media attention and free beverages for her big day.

Dr. Pepper Snapple Group placed the winning bid, which was originally $5,700 but was later upped to $10,000. The company may have found the auction because of its mention in a local newspaper article about Gray's money saving efforts. One of Gray's co-workers suggested she try eBay because a Dr. Pepper can was selling on the online auction site for $400.The company will be responsible for selecting a bridesmaid and will reportedly launch a Web site to help her find someone or provide a surprise guest.

Gray and her fiance, Karl Grau, had decided that they would provide a dress and shoes for the selected individual, as well as an invitation, plus one, to the reception. If a man happened to be the winner, they'd supply the tuxedo.

The couple makes a combined $32,000 per year and planned to bake their own wedding cake and pass up a DJ to instead hook up their iPods to a stereo system (which [sidenote] got me thinking about my road trip to Virginia this weekend, in which my three friends and I created embarrassing music playlists incredibly worthy of being played at any wedding/bar mitzvah. I should totally see if they'd hire us for the gig with that extra $5K.)

Anyway. Raise your frosty glasses of Dr. Pepper in a toast to the future newlyweds. Cheers!

Dessert in a can = no no

I know I've written about the genius of Dr. Pepper's viral marketing campaign, but I finally got my hands on some Cherry Chocolate Dr. Pepper, and yeah, not so good.

I wasn't expecting much, so the first sip was, "Oh, hey, this isn't so bad. It really actually tastes like chocolate covered cherries." But by the second sip, my thoughts were more like, "Okay, this gets really old, really fast." And also, don't let it go flat. It gets even worse.

They offer a $1.00-off coupon on your next purchase, but even an $0.39 beverage that tastes that bad couldn't rope a bargain shopper like me in.

Sorry to say, but I'm thinking this beverage is going to follow the same broken road as good ole' Pepsi Kona, R.I.P. 1996.

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Thanks, TJS!