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Netflix's new documentary series Pepsi, Where's My Jet? is proving a hit with critics, netting a perfect Rotten Tomatoes score. The show tells the true story of John Leonard, a college student who ended up battling PepsiCo in court over the company's Pepsi Stuff commercial, which promised you could exchange Pepsi Points for certain rewards. One in particular caught Leonard's eye: a Harrier jet valued at 7 million Pepsi Points. Though PepsiCo said the jet's inclusion was a joke, the ad didn't feature any disclaimer. Leonard set out to get the jet, ultimately spending $700,000 on Pepsi Points (with the help of his wealthy friend Todd Hoffman).
"The filmmakers do a good job of putting this story into perspective," says Decider's Joel Keller. "It's goofy and silly, but it's definitely illustrative of what could happen if even companies as big as PepsiCo and their advertising firm don't close as many loopholes as possible. It's arrogance, a stance that no one would possibly try to trade points for a fighter jet. But you knew that someone was going to try to take advantage of Pepsi's mistakes."
"Netflix has a habit of stretching ideas well past their breaking point, turning something that could maybe be one episode of 20/20 into a mini-series. I presumed that would be the case here, but [director Andrew] Renzi keeps the entire thing lighter on its feet than most Netflix docu-series," writes RogerEbert.com's Brian Tallerico. "It's got a playful spirit that matches the Pepsi ad campaigns of the era with pop music from the '90s and even fun bits like making every interview subject take the Pepsi Challenge – a blind taste-test of Pepsi and Coke. Renzi is clearly an ace interviewer, and it helps a great deal that Leonard and Hoffman are just remarkably likable (even if Pepsi would disagree)."
"The docuseries from Netflix, Pepsi, Where's My Jet? tries to encapsulate a marketing age that promoted exclusivity. The series is part cola wars and part millennial Mad Men while being absurdly addictive, if not two episodes too long," writes M.N. Miller for Ready Steady Cut.
"The case made history and is now included in legal textbooks and teaching in the US. As television, it's absolute gubbins – and very gentle documentary-making indeed," writes Lucy Mangan for The Guardian. "A David and Goliath case in which Goliath has just as reasonable an argument as David and the moral stakes are so low as to be negligible is not the stuff of legend, even if it is of case law. But if you're up for the viewing equivalent of a can of sweet fizz and empty calories, this will slip down just fine."
You can stream all four episodes of Pepsi, Where's My Jet? now – and if you're looking for more viewing recommendations, check out our guide to the best Netflix documentaries to fill out your watchlist.
