Pepsi tweets apology for 'bad taste' iPhone app

Amp Up Before You Score iPhone app.

(Credit: Pepsi)

PepsiCo has tweeted an apology on its Amp Energy Twitter account, as well as its Pepsi account, to those who may be offended by its new iPhone application, Amp Up Before You Score, which some have complained is insensitive to women.

"Our app tried 2 (sic) show the humorous lengths guys go 2 pick up women," a tweet read on Amp Energy's Twitter page. "We apologize if it's in bad taste & appreciate your feedback." The message was retweeted on Pepsi's official Twitter page.

The soft-drink maker stopped short of removing the free application from Apple's App Store.

Amp Up Before You Score is described by Pepsi as a "road map to success for your favorite kinds of women--24 in all." According to the company, the app first helps men "identify her type." To do so, the app shows a listing of "types of women" and features a "cheat sheet on the stuff she's into, with lists, links, and some surefire opening lines."

Perhaps the most suspect part of the app is the "Keep a List" function. The company describes that feature as such: "Get lucky? Add her to your brag list. You can include a name, date, and whatever details you remember."

After Pepsi released the app, people immediately took offense. Not only did Pepsi and its Amp Energy division hear it from Twitter users, the company also took shots from blogs that found the app particularly offensive. An overwhelming number of reviewers gave the app one star on its App Store page.

So far, Amp Up Before You Score is still available as a free download in Apple's App Store. If you want to see the app in action without downloading it, you can view a video from Pepsi here.

[sweet_olive]

Have to say, I will not be satisfied until Pepsi pulls the App altogether. It is disgusting, period.

[pjhenry1216]

luckily, Pepsi has no obligation to satisfy you. Pepsi has no obligations to satisfy every single individual. If they offend enough people, they'll probably have their hands tied and have to pull it to satisfy shareholders though. They're the only people they have to listen to.

If people weren't so easily offended, this world would be better off. Not saying folks like you are the only problem, but you're a contributing factor. I'm not perfect either, but I aspire to be. I'm not going to force my views on others and while I believe others should do the same, I won't force you to do so.

[sharmajunior]

First of all, we need a guide on how to score women. They send out mixed messages that no one really knows what to think of them, so I think this is a great app.

[hutwarmer]

people need to lighten up. i am so tired of hearing people say we should 'repect' women. as if they deserve to be respected just because they are women. you want repect? earn it. start by manning up and brushing this silly little application off.

[bunnyman2112]

WOMEN should "start by MANNING up?" Regardless of the silliness of the app, that is an incredibly illogical statement!

[02cfranklin]

This ^
Women poke fun at men all the time but the second a man does it to a woman then it's "insensitive"....

[Static-X-Machina]

OH MY GOOOOOOOD! WOMEN WANT TO BE TREATED EQUAL YET THEY DON'T WANT TO "MAN UP"
FREAKIN DECIDE ALREADY! WHAT DO YOU WANT?! TO BE THOUGHT OF AS LESS THAN OR EQUAL TO?!

JEEZE ENOUGH WITH THE FREAKIN' DOUBLE STANDARDS!

You know what we should do as men? Go and complain about every article that anyone has ever written about how to pick up guys. But you know what? We won't. Why? Because we see it, shrug shoulders, and move on with the day!

In the mean time go complain to apple! Tell them to remove the app and SHOW EVERYONE I'M RIGHT!

Hurt by what I say? Go cry over it and stuff your face with ben and jerry's.

[alstatr]

people need to stop trying to be so politically correct and chill out. its just an iphone app!

[TinyIoda]

I wonder what 'Aging Hippie Liberal ******' would say about this?

Calm down people... don't like it.. don't buy it.... problem solved.

[moordrake]

I didnt realise Pepsi were forcing people to download and use there iPhone app............Im just saying.

[Ray_1872]

Lame app. Pepsi sucks.

[Dalkorian]

I have to agree to a point, the app looks quite lame. I love Pepsi though, but even ignoring that how would a carbonated beverage suck? I would think it blows instead ...

To people who want to be offended by some free app they decided to download and try out, your an idiot. Please visit a doctor and tell him or her that you should not ever be allowed to reproduce because doing so would infect the planet with even more stupidity.

[ddhboy]

All this article and apology does is make me want to get the app. Like they say, there's no such thing as bad publicity.

[Dalkorian]

Funny, it made me ask "why would anyone even want to download something that is so obviously stupid"?

[dayveg]

Not sure why this is such a problem for people? It has some broad types of people and then it lists funny pick-up lines that you could use on them. How is this a big deal or even remotely degrading? I'm so tired of seeing this word abused. and even if it is "degrading"... delete it. it was free. move on. The increasing trend to be so concerned with stuff like this is scary. I think some people need to reorganize their priorities a bit. At the most, you have 120 years on this world. Please use some of them like you're appreciative.

[ByeByeNorton]

I am not easily offended. It's actually really hard to offend me. I am not the type of person who would scream sexual harrassment because of posters of naked women in the guys area or file a charge if a guy flirted with me at work. I wouldn't flip out if I found that a boyfriend had a porn stash. But I find this offensive. Very offensive.

I am reminded of the "for a good time call...." on the bathroom wall. This takes it to a whole new level.

I am totally addicted to diet Pepsi as well. I am going to be going through withdrawl over the next few weeks because I am not buying another bottle until this app is goine.
.

[ejblrats]

OH NO!!!! Please don't stop buying Diet Pepsi!! Without your purchase of 12-24 cans of soda per week the entire Pepsi empire will absolutely, without a doubt go bankrupt!!

Seriously it's just a silly little iPhone app. Grow up.

[Dalkorian]

Yeah right. Hey, maybe if you continue to feign offense long enough you might actually start to feel something. Or not.

[fcz1]

Regardless if you think an apology is needed or not, Tweeting one is pretty weak. If you are reading Amp's tweets, you probably are okay with the app. They are missing the people they are trying to apologize to.

[Michichael]

Ugh. Grow up people. It's a satirical comment. For ***** sake I'm sure there are plenty of women that found this amusing as hell.

Look at it this way - if a women's magazine published an article containing all of the information in the iphone app with the subject "What kind of woman are you?" it'd be an "empowering social commentary on women's lives today."

So... don't gimme this ****.

[Chao_Sama]

Wow people it's just an app the gun is not to your head to buy it ok....

Have a Good Night Thanks For Coming Out..

[karpenterskids]

The feelings regarding this app seem to be pretty much split half/half.

Which may mean that Pepsi just lost the respect of around 50% of their customers who find out about this app.
Great job, Pepsi. Keep it up.

[Jeffg3601]

OMG! GIVE ME A ^%#! BREAK! IT'S FUNNY!

The application is more of a slam on men and their pathetic attempts to meet women than the women themselves!

OMG! OMG! OMG!

Get over it!

[alskiontheweb]

Hmmm...and people are so upset that the Zune app store isn't open? The iTunes app store is so littered with useless garbage like this thing that it is almost comical. How many free "fart" apps can you get installed? How many "flashlights" does it take to change a light bulb? Maybe in the next revision of this fine application they will let you upload a photo and it will tell you if you will get lucky or not. Now that would be worth the download! Ah, the joys of owning such a useful application platform.

[gb1877]

There are a lot worse things in the world that an IPhone app. If you're offended don't use it. It actually looks fairly amusing to me. Carry yourself with pride and dignity, treat others like you'd like to be treated and you'll have peoples' respect. Man or woman.

[Ray_1872]

Pepsi should make an app for how to score with African Americans. This one wouldn't be sexist (because there could be male and female), just totally racist. You could put descriptions of watermelons and greens on it. GREAT!

[coreylarue]

Hello...Pepsi has determined a new way to pick up women:

1.) Download AMP app.
2.) Show it to woman at a bar.
3.) Gauge reaction
-If Offended: Walk away
-If Amused: Begin real conversation.

[4score20]

It's an app aimed primarily at Amp's core audience (young males). I can certainly understand someone, (male or female) being offended by it - that's a mature response - but you've got to pick your battles carefully if you want to win the war. Sexism ,like racism, still exists but it's nowhere near as vicious as it was years ago. I remember the huge controversy caused by the image of a nude woman in a meat grinder on the cover of a magazine a few decades back. Now THAT was a battle worth joining. This app isn't one of them.

[PandaSage1221]

My initial reaction was: "that's so stupid, stop being so politically correct and apologizing for every stupid thing someone finds offensive."

But... I don't know. It seems like so few companies bother to take responsibility for the crap that they do until and unless there's an uprising about it, so.. maybe.. good for them? I'm torn.