The Dr Pepper Museum Makes the World Taste Better!

HOT Dr Pepper Interview with Everett Zenser

2010-03-18T11:00:00.001-05:00

Calling all Interns!!!

2010-02-24T11:54:00.006-06:00

We are gearing up for the summer around here and wanted to let you all know that we are accepting applications for internships now! Interested in finding out if a career in museums is the right fit for you - now is your chance!!!

Fascinated by the real historic stuff - come spend the summer working in collections. The plus side of this is the air-conditioning in the middle of the summer!! You might actually want to bring a sweater and gloves!!!

Interested in learning more about the stuff you see on exhibit and like to work with your hands? We've got a spot for you creative types on our exhibit design team!

Do you enjoy working with children and talking to people? You sound like a perfect fit for our programs staff!!!

Applications are due by April 1! Check our website, http://www.drpeppermuseum.com/ for more details!

Helpful Hints from Days of Yore

2010-02-17T14:15:00.008-06:00

As some of you may know, we just finished installing our latest temporary exhibit Birth of a Brand. Birth of a Brand is all about the early years of Dr Pepper and the soft drink industry. Almost all of the objects on display are original to the time period (1885 - 1925) and there is A LOT to see!

One of the objects on display is a book entitled A Gold Mine in Soda: MacMahon's Latest Recipes and American Soda Water Dispenser's Guide. This snarky volume contains many quotes worthy of an "ooh!" and an "ahh!" but the following pages stood out as the most appropriate to display and share with all of you. Pay particular attention to the section entitled "How to Attend a Soda Fountain" :)

click to enlarge

Sage advice from a wise man, and oh so applicable today! We invite you to come to our soda fountain and experience a hand made Dr Pepper, and while you are here be sure to check out Birth of a Brand!

It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas!

2009-12-03T16:31:00.005-06:00

The museum is decorated for Christmas and we are getting ready for a Brunch with the Reindeer Bunch and A Dr Pepper Christmas!

Need to get some Christmas shopping done without the kids hanging on, sign them up for our Brunch with the Reindeer Bunch Saturday, December 5 or Saturday, December 12! 10 am to Noon both days! We'll have holiday and soft drink themed crafts along with a mini version of our Create-A-Soft-Drink program! Dr Pepper floats all around at the end! The cost is $10 and its for kids aged 6-11!

Looking for a fun way to get in the holiday spirit? Try our A Dr Pepper Christmas event on Friday night, December 11 from 6 to 9 pm. We'll have music performed by an ensemble from China Springs Middle School, the orchestra from Midway High School, and the choir from Midway High School. Ever tried Hot Dr Pepper? You'll have the perfect opportunity this evening along with some other great food! Also featured this evening will be our Holiday Create-a-Soft-Drink! Cinnamon, Peppermint, Egg Nog, Plum and Cranberry are just a few of the flavors that we'll feature! Bring the kids for a fun-filled evening! Tickets are $15 for adults and $6 for kids! Thanks to our great sponsors for making this wonderful evening a possibility - Architexas, Barrett Construction, Blue Bell Creameries, Dean Foods, HEB, Son Beverage Company, and Murray and Greta Watson!

What Suits Your Sweet Tooth?

2009-10-09T16:34:00.004-05:00

Howdy there, Peppers!

This week a new exhibit opened up here at the Dr Pepper Museum. It's pretty SWEET if we do say so ourselves!

Did you know that the sweetener in the little pink packets is also in your toothpaste? or that Splenda is made from sugar?

"The Sweetest Thing" reveals the facts on six sweeteners: aspartame (NutraSweet), sucralose (Splenda), saccharin (Sweet 'n Low), rebiana (Truvia), pure cane sugar, and high fructose corn syrup.

Head on down and get ready to learn some sweet surprises about products you may use everyday!

Mad About Mad Men

2009-09-29T11:05:00.006-05:00

As some of you may have heard through the Twitterverse we sent twelve 1960s glass bottles to the set of the AMC smash hit show Mad Men to be featured alongside leading man John Hamm in an upcoming episode. Well, the episode aired last week and boy were those Dr Pepper bottles front and center! I think the main star in that sense was the vending machine, which, contrary to popular belief did not come from us. In an interesting twist, what one can assume was meant to be just another prop in the midst of some serious main plot action has actually garnered some buzz over the past week. People have come out of the woodwork to argue that Dr Pepper was not available in the area of Manhattan where the scene would have taken place at that time. One of those people is Stuart Elliott, Media and Advertising writer for the New York Times, who was actually remembers Manhattan from that time period and has challenged Dr Pepper, and subsequently the Museum, to prove that it was available. That was certainly an interesting couple of days! We were able to prove that indeed, it was entirely possible that Dr Pepper could have been available at that time, and for the sake of continuity here is the quote from Greg Artkop, Director of Corporate Communication for the Dr Pepper Snapple Group from the article Mr. Elliott wrote:

"As for Dr Pepper’s presence in New York City in 1963, “it was distributed by independent bottlers in the area,” he added, and according to information in the archives, the top bottlers in New York included two located in the boroughs of the Bronx and Brooklyn."

The bottom line is, OUR STUFF WAS IN FREAKING MAD MEN. Here is the link to the article by Mr. Elliott:
On TV, a ‘Mad’ Dr

Here are some stills and a link to the recap of the episode entitled Guy Walks Into An Advertising Agency

Recap

And here is a pic of the brothers and sisters of the ones that were sent. These were not in good enough condition to go, but it gives you an idea of what the bottles look like up close!

Dr Pepper Museum on KWTX News Ten This Morning!

2009-09-18T10:08:00.009-05:00

Bright and early this morning Mary Beth, our Collections Manager, did two live interviews for KWTX News Ten This Morning. The first one is about the Museum, and the second is about the paranormal investigations that were done by McLennan County Paranormal Investigations. Check them out!

Part 1

Part 2

Dog Days was a HIT!

2009-08-24T14:36:00.003-05:00

THANK YOU to everyone who came to our Dog Days of Summer free day event this past Saturday! We had almost 1500 people attend which is CRAZINESS and we were so happy you were all there! We had many many fabulous locals as well as visitors from far away lands like Rhode Island, Massachusetts, Missouri, and Utah. Collectively we went through almost 1200 donuts compliments of Shipley Do-Nut and I think almost everyone who came through got to try our crazy Dr Pepper flavor combinations.

We are SO grateful for all the support, and we hope this is just the first of many fun events we can offer in the future. If you have photos of you and your family at the event and want to share them with us please post them to our Flickr group DPM Dog Days.

Here are some pics of the fun times that were had by all!

The Moon Pie Eating Contest Champion in the making!

Bubble Gum Blowing Competition!

Donut Walk!

Go Fish!

Bubble Blowing Contest!

Soda Scoop Opens!

2009-08-14T16:33:00.002-05:00

This just in! The Dr Pepper Museum presents the exhibit you have all been waiting for!
Soda Scoop answers all the burning questions people have about the secrets behind
some of their favorite soft drinks. Presented tabloid-style, the colors are vivid and the
information is juicy! What is behind the names of drinks like Dr Pepper, 7UP, and A&W?
Was there really cocaine in Coca-Cola? Which celebrities swear by Dr Pepper? All of these
questions and more are answered in Soda Scoop opening August 15th!

Yay! Newest Twitpic Photo Op!!

The Taste-off

2009-08-07T15:38:00.002-05:00

Today we had our 9th Flavored Dr Pepper Taste test. We tested several of the previous winning flavors against each other to see how they fared. These flavors were Vanilla, Mango, Peppermint and Cinnamon. Which one do you think won? We had a clear winner as you will see.

We had a total of 64 people who participated today. Along with our Texas visitors, we also had visitors from Louisiana, Oklahoma, Nebraska, Missouri, Illinois and Arkansas.

42% of our participants were under 20 years of age and the rest were 21 and older.

52% of our participants chose Cinnamon Dr Pepper as their favorite. Over a quarter of our participants chose Mango Dr Pepper as their favorite and 22% chose Vanilla. Only 7% preferred Peppermint.

For those flavors chosen as the participants least favorite flavors, 39% did not like Peppermint, 36% did not like Mango, and Cinnamon and Vanilla both got 11% of votes of least favorite flavor today.

While 41% said they liked the original Dr Pepper over todays flavors, 23% said they liked Cinnamon Dr Pepper more then the regular Dr Pepper, 12.5% said they liked Vanilla Dr Pepper more than regular, another 12.5% said they liked Mango Dr Pepper more and 9.3% said they liked Peppermint.

Over half of today's visitors said they maybe would buy the flavored versions if offered, 39% said definitely they would buy them and 7.8% they definitely would not buy them.

56.25% would buy a Cinnamon Dr Pepper; 27% said they would buy a Vanilla Dr Pepper and another 27% would buy a Mango Dr Pepper while only 9.3% would buy a Peppermint Dr Pepper.

Our last taste test will be held during the Dog Days festivities held at the museum on August 22. Stay tuned for more details about this exciting event!!

8th Flavored Dr Pepper Taste Test!

2009-07-31T15:21:00.002-05:00

Today we had our 8th flavored Dr Pepper Taste Test! 62 of our visitors put their tastbuds to work and told us what they thought of Amaretto, Cinnamon, Cranberry and Coconut Dr Pepper. Amaretto was bumped down to 3rd place this week and Cinnamon and Coconut took the lead.

Along with our Texas visitors, we also enjoyed talking to folks from New Jersey and both North and South Carolina!

Most of our taste testers today were under 20, but we had a fair repesentation of different age groups including 7 senior citizens.

Only one vote separated first and second place! Congrats to Cinnamon and better luck next time for Coconut. Amaretto came close behind in 3rd place and only 6 testers reported that they liked Cranberry the best.

Most of our visitors today didn't care for Cranberry, but suprisingly Coconut and Cinnimon, our winners, took 2nd and 3rd in the "Least Favorite" category.

Our testers were torn between Cinnamon and Coconut as the flavor they liked more than the original Dr Pepper. Never fear, 13 die hard Peppers told us that nothing beats original DP!

Most of our visitors think they would buy our concotions in the store. Which ones? Cinnamon, Coconut and Amaretto, of course!

Next week the winners from previous weeks will be battling each other head to head to decide the Dr Pepper Museum ULTIMATE FLAVOR CHAMPION! Drop by the second floor and join the fun!

7th Flavored Dr Pepper Taste Test

2009-07-24T13:34:00.003-05:00

Today we had our 7th flavored Dr Pepper Taste Test. It was an exciting one with four new flavors. This week's flavors were Amaretto, Cinnamon, Cranberry and Coconut. We had close competition between the Amaretto and Cinnamon.

We had a total of 62 people who took the test.

Along with our Texas visitors, we also had visitors from Arkansas, Missouri, Iowa, California, Ohio, New York, Maryland, Tennessee and New Hampshire.

Age
27% were between the ages of 0-10.
11% were between the ages of 11-20.
18% were between the ages of 21-30.
13% were between the ages of 31-40.
10% were between the ages of 41-50.
6% were between the ages of 51-60.
6% were between the ages of 61-70.
2% were ages 71 and up.
6% did not report their age.

Which flavor did you like the most?
38.71% said they liked Amaretto Dr Pepper the most.
37.10% said they liked Cinnamon Dr Pepper the most.
16.13% said they liked Coconut Dr Pepper the most.
11.29% said they liked Cranberry Dr Pepper the most.

Which flavor did you like the least?
37.10% said they liked Coconut Dr Pepper the least.
33.87% said they liked Cranberry Dr Pepper the least.
14.52% said they liked Amaretto Dr Pepper the least.
14.52% said they liked Cinnamon Dr Pepper the least.

Which flavor did you like more than regular Dr Pepper?
25.81% said they liked Amaretto DP more than regular Dr Pepper.
19.35% said they liked Cinnamon DP more than regular Dr Pepper.
14.52% said they liked Coconut DP more than regular Dr Pepper.
11.29% said they liked Cranberry DP more than regular Dr Pepper.
33.87% said they liked regular Dr Pepper more than any of today's flavored versions.

Would you purchase any of the flavors if they were sold at your local grocery store?
56.45% said yes.
33.87% said maybe.
8.09% said no.

Which ones?
48.39% said they would buy Amaretto DP.
41.94% said they would buy Cinnamon DP.
27.42% said they would buy Coconut DP.
17.74% said they would buy Cranberry DP.

Please join us next Friday as we see these flavors battle again in the Summer 2009 Flavored Dr Pepper Taste Test. These tests are held on the 2nd floor at 11:30 in the classroom.

Come See The Wagons!

2009-07-21T11:31:00.003-05:00

Due to construction that is about to begin in the Kellum-Rotan building (you know, the one with the big neon sign on the side!) the wagons and bulldog truck have been moved out to the courtyard for your viewing pleasure. You notice we said VIEWING pleasure, right? The vehicles currently have caution tape on them to discourage climbing on them. Feel free to use these great pieces of Dr Pepper history as an awesome photo op, but for your own safety please do not climb on them or up into them. It is for their safety, too! They are very old and don't do well with a lot of hands-on interaction. We are happy to be able to offer these as a temporary part of our courtyard exhibit before they are permanently placed in the new galleries of the Kellum-Rotan building as part of our Transportation Exhibit. We hope you enjoy them!

6th Flavored Dr Pepper Taste Test

2009-07-17T14:30:00.002-05:00

Today we had our 6th flavored Dr Pepper Taste Test. We repeated last week's flavors of Peppermint, Coffee, Plum and Walnut. The results were interesting, though Peppermint DP still came in an overwhelming first.

We had 47 people who took the test.

Our out-of-state visitors were from Tennessee, Florida, Oklahoma, Louisiana and Ohio.

Age

19% were between the ages of 0-10.

23% were between the ages of 11-20.

11% were between the ages of 21-30.

26% were between the ages of 31-40.

2% were between the ages of 41-50.

11% were between the ages of 51-60.

4% were between the ages of 61-70.

4% did not report their age.

Which flavor did you like the most?

51.06% said they liked Peppermint Dr Pepper the most.

34.04% said they liked Plum Dr Pepper the most.

14.89% said they liked Walnut Dr Pepper the most.

6.38% said they liked Coffee Dr Pepper the most.

Which flavor did you like the least?

38.30% said they liked Coffee Dr Pepper the least.

29.79% said they liked Walnut Dr Pepper the least.

25.53% said they liked Plum Dr Pepper the least.

8.51% said they liked Peppermint Dr Pepper the least.

2.12% did not answer.

Which flavor did you like more than regular Dr Pepper?

29.79% said they liked Peppermint DP more than regular Dr Pepper.

19.15% said they liked Plum DP more than regular Dr Pepper.

2.12% said they liked Coffee DP more than regular Dr Pepper.

2.12% said they liked Walnut DP more than regular Dr Pepper.

46.81% said they liked regular Dr Pepper more than any of today's flavored versions.

Would you purchase any of the flavors if they were sold at your local grocery store?

51.06% said yes.

34.06% said maybe.

14.89% said no.

Which ones?

55.32% said they would buy Peppermint DP.

34.04% said they would buy Plum DP.

17.02% said they would buy Coffee DP.

17.02% said they would buy Walnut DP.

Return next week for 4 more exciting flavors. The Dr Pepper Museum does taste tests from 11:30-12:30 on the 2nd floor in the classroom. We hope to see you then!

Houston Mayor Visits the DPM!

2009-07-15T15:48:00.002-05:00

On Tuesday, July 14th, Houston Mayor Bill White stopped by the Dr Pepper Museum! He visited with local supporters and Museum staff, and then enjoyed a Dr Pepper (of course!) from the soda fountain.

Mayor White took office in 2003 and was overwhelmingly re-elected in 2005 and 2007. He is now at the end of his mayoral career and is running for U. S. Senator. Here we see him with Interpretation Associate Katie Wolfe, Director of Interpretation Joy Summar-Smith, Mayor Bill White and Director of Communications Jennie Sheppard. Hes a Pepper!

DPM Staffers Katie Wolfe, Joy Summar-Smith, and Jennie Sheppard with Mayor White

5th Flavored Dr Pepper Taste Test

2009-07-10T14:03:00.002-05:00

Today we had our 5th flavored Dr Pepper taste test of the summer. This week we had the new flavors of coffee, peppermint, plum, and walnut! Take a look at the results below:

We had 39 people who took the test.

We had visitors from Texas, Florida, Georgia, and Maryland. We even had some international guests from Korea!

Age
13% were between the ages of 0-10
18% were between the ages of 11-20
15% were between the ages of 21-30
20% were between the ages of 31-40
8% were between the ages of 41-50
5% were between the ages of 51-60
5% were between the ages of 61-70
5% were age 71 and up

Which Flavor did you like Most?
30.77% said they liked Peppermint DP the most.
28.21% said they liked Plum DP the most.
28.21% said they liked Coffee DP the most.
10.26% liked Walnut DP the most.

Which flavor did you like the least?
41.03% said they liked Walnut DP the least.
30.77% said they liked Plum DP the least.
15.38% said they liked Peppermint DP the least.
10.26% said they liked Coffee DP the least.

Which flavor did you like more than regular Dr Pepper?
15.82% said they liked Peppermint DP more than regular DP.
12.82% said they liked Plum DP more than regular DP
5.13% said they liked Coffee DP more than regular DP.
2.56% said they liked Walnut DP more than regular DP.
61.54% said they did not like any of the flavored DP more than regular DP.

Would you purchase any of the flavors if they were sold at your local grocery store?
41.03% said maybe.
28.21% said yes.
12.82% said no.
12.82% didn't know

Which one(s)?
33.33% said they would buy Peppermint DP.
33.33% said they would buy Coffee DP.
23.08% said they would buy Plum DP.
17.95% said they would buy Walnut DP.

We'll do this again next Friday from 11:30 to 12:30. Come by for a visit to the Dr Pepper Museum and see what flavored Dr Pepper you would like.

4th Flavored Dr Pepper Taste Test Results!

2009-07-03T14:00:00.011-05:00

Today we had our 4th flavored Dr Pepper taste test of the summer. This week we tested Caramel, Chocolate, Hazelnut and Vanilla flavored Dr Pepper again. Unlike last week, the visitors that participated did not have a clear favorite. However, the least favorite flavor rang loud and clear.

This week, 78 visitors put their taste buds to work testing our Dr Pepper concoctions!

In addition to our visitors from Texas, we were happy to welcome folks from Florida, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Arizona, Ohio, and Pennsylvania. We even had an international visitor from Tijuana, Mexico!

Age
14% were between the ages of 0-10.
18% were between the ages of 11-20.
17% were between the ages of 21-30.
13% were between the ages of 31-40.
23% were between the ages of 41-50.
5% were between the ages of 51-60.
3% were between the ages of 61-70.
5% were age 71 and up.
1% did not share their age.

Which Flavor did you like Most?
42% preferred Vanilla Dr Pepper.
39% preferred Caramel Dr Pepper.
5% preferred Hazelnut Dr Pepper.
5% preferred Chocolate Dr Pepper.
6% preferred not to answer.

Which flavor did you like the least?
65% liked Chocolate Dr Pepper the least.
14% liked Vanilla Dr Pepper the least.
12% liked Hazelnut Dr Pepper the least.
9% liked Caramel Dr Pepper the least.

Which flavor did you like more than original Dr Pepper?
15% liked Vanilla Dr Pepper more than the original.
13% liked Caramel Dr Pepper more than the original.
8% liked Chocolate Dr Pepper more than the original.
5% liked Hazelnut Dr Pepper more than the original.
59% thought that original Dr Pepper can't be beat!

Would you purchase any of the flavors if they were sold at your local grocery store?
47% said yes.
43% said maybe.
10% said no.

Which one(s)?

53% said they would buy Vanilla DP.

50% said they would buy Caramel DP.

12% said they would buy Chocolate DP.

9% said they would buy Hazelnut DP.

Next week we'll be introducing four new flavors for you to enjoy! Stop by the second floor of the museum between 11:30 and 12:30 on Friday, July 10th and tell us what you think.

3rd Flavored Dr Pepper Taste Test

2009-06-26T14:07:00.002-05:00

Today we had our 3rd flavored Dr Pepper taste test of the summer. This week we introduced Caramel, Chocolate, Hazelnut and Vanilla flavored Dr Pepper. We had a clear favorite as you can see below.

Here are the results of today's test:
We had 45 people who took the test.

This week, in addition to our visitors from Texas, we had visitors from California, Michigan, Colorado and New Jersey who participated in our Taste Test!

Age
24% were between the ages of 0-10
7% were between the ages of 11-20
4% were between the ages of 21-30
7% were between the ages of 31-40
13% were between the ages of 41-50
11% were between the ages of 51-60
13% were between the ages of 61-70
11% were age 71 and up
9% did not answer

Which Flavor did you like Most?
62.22% said they liked Vanilla DP the most.
13.33% said they liked Chocolate DP the most.
8.89% said they liked Caramel DP the most.
6.67% liked Hazelnut DP the most.

Which flavor did you like the least?
37.78% said they liked Chocolate DP the least.
35.56% said they liked Caramel DP the least.
28.89% said they liked Hazelnut DP the least.
8.89% said they liked Vanilla DP the least.

Which flavor did you like more than regular Dr Pepper?
42.22% said they liked Vanilla DP more than regular DP.
13.33% said they liked Caramel DP more than regular DP
11.11% said they liked Chocolate DP more than regular DP.
8.89% said they liked Hazelnut DP more than regular DP.
20% said they did not like any of the flavored DP more than regular DP.

Would you purchase any of the flavors if they were sold at your local grocery store?
73.33% said yes.
17.78% said maybe.
13.33% said no.

Which one(s)?
68.89% said they would buy Vanilla DP.
42.22% said they would buy Chocolate DP.
17.78% said they would buy Caramel DP.
15.56% said they would buy Hazelnut DP.

We'll do this again next Friday from 11:30 to 12:30. Come by for a visit to the Dr Pepper Museum and see what flavored Dr Pepper you would like.

2nd Flavored Dr Pepper Taste Test!

2009-06-19T14:46:00.004-05:00

Similar to last week, we featured Mango, Strawberry, Raspberry and Watermelon to see if the results would be the same or different. We again asked the visitors who took the test which flavors they preferred, similar to the consumer taste testing that is done by Dr Pepper when they develop their flavor extensions.

Here are the results of today's test:
We had 69 people who took the test.

This week, in addition to our visitors from Texas, we had visitors from
Wisconsin, Ohio, Illinois, South Carolina,California, Kansas,
and even Alaska who participated in our Taste Test!

AGE
24% were between the ages of 0-10
30% were between the ages of 11-20
11% were between the ages of 21-30
7% were between the ages of 31-40
13% were between the ages of 41-50
7% were between the ages of 51-60
3% were between the ages of 61-70
3% were age 71 and up

Which Flavor did you like Most?
37.14% said they liked Watermelon DP the most.
27.14% said they liked Raspberry DP the most.
20% said they liked Strawberry DP the most.
15.71% liked Mango DP the most.

Which flavor did you like the least?
39.13% said they liked Mango DP the least.
23.19% said they liked Watermelon DP the least.
18.84% said they liked Strawberry DP the least.
18.84% said they liked Raspberry DP the least.

Which flavor did you like more than regular Dr Pepper?
34.32% said they liked Raspberry DP more than regular DP.
32.84% said they liked Watermelon DP more than regular DP
17.91% said they liked Strawberry DP more than regular DP.
10.45% said they liked Mango DP more than regular DP.
4.48% said they did not like any of the flavored DP more than regular DP.

Would you purchase any of the flavors if they were sold at your local grocery store?
55.38% said yes.
33.85% said maybe.
13.85% said no.

Which one(s)?
33.33% said they would buy Raspberry DP.
27.96% said they would buy Watermelon DP.
21.51% said they would buy Mango DP.
17.20% said they would buy Strawberry DP.

We'll do this again next Friday from 11:30 to 12:30. Come by for a visit and put your taste buds to the test with four new flavors that we're putting together!

Collections Bloggy Blog - Unconventional Beauty

2009-06-18T09:13:00.005-05:00

OK, here is the thing...the Collections Department here at the DPM cannot function on a daily basis without the use of a pallet jack. This may seem arbitrary, but now that we have moved to the new facility there are four rooms full of collections items, plus an entire creepy late-1800s basement full of pallets that are constantly being moved and reshuffled. Do I wish I didn't rely so heavily on this one piece of equipment? Yes, of course, because that would mean that the collections were stable and organized in some kind of permanent way, but that is just not the case at the moment. We use that darn pallet jack EVERY DAY, so imagine my heartbreak when it tried to commit heavy equipment suicide by splattering its hydraulic fluid out all over the floor after being forced to lift one extremely heavy pallet too many...

That actually happened a while ago, and since then we have been arguing our case for a new one to the boss man every day while gingerly using the pallet jack only when absolutely necessary. It has pulled through and the daily grind of this place has continued at a fairly normal pace, but I was still adamant that we needed a new one. Well, yesterday, with the generosity of our board member Wilton Lanning and the fine folks at Equipment Depot, my prayers were answered! Around 1:15 pm a shiny new pallet jack was delivered.

Again, this may seem really weird, but I am VERY EXCITED about this new pallet jack. I think the guys from Equipment Depot could sense my elation and kind of made a joke about it, like "Oooooh, yay, a pallet jack, whoopee!?!....." And I was all like "No, you don't understand, this is a big freakin' deal and you will exhibit some level of pomp and circumstance as you MAKE MY DAY." And also yesterday I was dressed especially fancy because Joy, Jennie and I did a TV interview for PBS, so I think my dressy business appearance in an otherwise industrial warehouse environment, coupled with my excitement over a pallet jack, was a little strange to see.

ANYWAY, other museum people out there, especially those who have experienced a move or the donation of a humongous collection, will understand and share my sentiments. This is just once aspect of the behind-the-scenes situation here that people don't get to see, but is essential to making this place run. So, those of you who have read this will secretly know that the newest addition to the collection isn't a bottle or can, but a beautiful new pallet jack that is helping to make the Museum even more fabulous.

The boys with the new pallet jack...They are impressed!

Out with the old and in with the new

Look at how beat up the old one is! I am not going to be able to bring myself to scratch the new one up like that...

1st Flavored Dr Pepper Taste Test

2009-06-12T12:59:00.003-05:00

As part of our new exhibit, Prototypes and Beyond!, we are doing taste tests again this summer. We are adding different flavorings to Dr Pepper. This week we featured Mango, Strawberry, Raspberry and Watermelon. We then asked the visitors who took the test which flavors they preferred similar to the consumer taste testing that is done by Dr Pepper when they develop their flavor extensions.

Here are the results of today's test:
We had 41 people who took the test.

While most of the participants were from Texas, we had visitors from Minnesota, Denver, Colorado, Oklahoma and even one from Canada participate in our Flavored Dr Pepper Taste Test.

AGE
20% were between the ages of 0-10
18% were between the ages of 11-20
7% were between the ages of 21-30
21% were between the ages of 31-40
10% were between the ages of 41-50
5% were between the ages of 51-60
5% were between the ages of 61-70
14% were age 71 and up

Which Flavor did you like Most?
46.34% liked Mango DP the most.
26.83% said they liked Strawberry DP the most.
24.39% said they liked Watermelon DP the most.
19.51% said they liked Raspberry DP the most.

Which flavor did you like the least?
51.22% said they liked Watermelon DP the least.
17.07% said they liked Strawberry DP the least.
12.20% said they liked Mango DP the least.
12.20% said they liked Raspberry DP the least.

Which flavor did you like more than regular Dr Pepper?
26.93% said they liked Mango DP more than regular DP.
21.95% said they did not like any of the flavored DP more than regular DP.
19.51% said they liked Strawberry DP more than regular DP.
14.63% said they liked Raspberry DP more than regular DP.
9.76% said they liked Raspberry DP more than regular DP

Would you purchase any of the flavors if they were sold at your local grocery store?
53.66% said yes.
39.02% said maybe.
4.88% said no.

Which one(s)?
51.22% said they would buy Mango DP.
46.34% said they would buy Strawberry DP.
34.15% said they would buy Raspberry DP.
26.83% said they would buy Watermelon DP.

We'll do this again next from 11:30 to 12:30. Come by and visit us then! There are many more flavors yet to come!

DR PEPPER MUSEUM CERTIFIED AS HAUNTED!

2009-06-05T15:26:00.004-05:00

Double, double, toil and trouble, Alderton stirred and Lazenby added the bubbles. Do the spirits of Dr Pepper's creators tread the floors of the Dr Pepper Museum in Waco? Located at the corner of Fifth Street and Mary Avenue in the turn of the century industrial district, the Artesian Manufacturing and Bottling Company was designed by Waco architect Milton Scott and built in 1906. Now, more that 100 years later, the building that survived the 1953 Waco Tornado and was resurrected after more than twenty years of vacancy to become the Dr Pepper Museum has been certified as haunted by the investigators of McLennan County Paranormal.

June 4th, 2009 was a suspenseful evening as the staff of the Dr Pepper Museum sat down with Mike and Cindy Jacobus, founders of McLennan County Paranormal Investigations, as they revealed the evidence that led them to certify the Museum as a haunted location.

Many bumps, breathless voices, knocks, and even a few vaporous orbs were documented using the state-of-the-art equipment McLennan County Paranormal Investigations set up throughout the Museum.

The most impressive piece of audio evidence the team revealed was a female voice that could clearly be heard saying “Here’s the train…” as the actual train passed by on Jackson Street. The night vision camera that was set up looking down the front staircase recorded two light orbs fly by, one right after the other. There were many other recorded instances, but those two episodes were the strongest.

Do you want a paranormal experience of your own? Make sure to come by the Museum and keep an eye out for the Spooky Spot location markers throughout the Museum indicating the areas where the investigators recorded the most activity.

Want a paranormal experience of your own? Think you have a haunted location? Email the Mike and Cindy Jacobus at mcpi@live.com to schedule an investigation!!!

Model A’s And An Original McLennan Visit The Museum

2009-06-05T10:43:00.005-05:00

This morning at the Dr Pepper Museum we had a great group of visitors that are members of a vintage car club. They arrived at the Museum in their Model A cars. They looked amazing! Here you can see several of the cars parked in our parking lot. My favorite? The Dr Pepper maroon Model A, of course!

A surprise visitor with the car club was Mr. L. D. McLennan. His great-great uncle, Neil McLennan, was an early Scottish-American settler of Texas and the namesake of McLennan County, home of Waco and Dr Pepper! Here we see two Waco originals, L.D. and Dr Pepper.

Out of the Ordinary Visitor

2009-06-02T13:06:00.003-05:00

This morning we had a unique visitor here at the museum. Julie Ann O'Connell, a former Dr Pepper ad model, came by on a tour with a group from Dallas. She brought with her a copy of an advertisement from Holland's Magazine from the late 1930s that she was in!

Mrs. O'Connell said that she was 3 at the time of the ad and that she got this opportunity through friends of her parents that worked for the Dr Pepper Company in Dallas. She told us that she remembers drinking Dr Pepper while the photographs were taken and that they were constantly getting a new bottle for her to hold because they wanted the bottle to be full! That smile is definitely the genuine thing! All the yummy Dr Pepper she could drink!

Mrs. O'Connell is still a Dr Pepper drinker today and has passed a copy of the ad onto her granddaughter who has it hanging in her bedroom.

Thanks for coming and sharing your ad with us, Mrs. O'Connell!

New Video Blog!!!

2009-06-01T11:24:00.001-05:00

The DPM on the Radio!

2009-05-27T14:02:00.003-05:00

Check out the Dr Pepper Museum's Collections Manager, Mary Beth Webster, talking to Harold Nicoll, the host of the popular internet talk show The Collectors Show. She talks with Harold about the origins of Dr Pepper collecting and how you can jump start your own Dr Pepper collection!

Getting Our Name Out There!

2009-05-26T16:21:00.002-05:00

This is a presentation put together by David Berkowitz of 360i in New York, NY. He is one of our followers on Twitter and recently got to visit the Museum and see what we are doing -- both inside the Museum walls and on the internet. Check it out!

Top 11 Twitter Tools and Twitter Best Practices - Brandhackers Presentation

View more Microsoft Word documents from David Berkowitz.

Prototypes and Beyond!

2009-05-26T11:06:00.005-05:00

The exhibit team spent last week hard at work installing the latest exhibit here at the museum. It is a process that started several months ago with research. For this exhibit we spent time interviewing members of the Dr Pepper brand team at the Dr Pepper Snapple Group and former employees of packaging manufacturers. With their input, the process that soft drink companies use to develop their products and brand identities emerged along with the amount of consumer product testing that is done. This exhibit will guide you through the development of logos (especially the current Dr Pepper logo) along with bottle and flavor development. (How about some Dr Pepper Cherry?)

With this exhibit, we are adding a few online interactives. When you come to the museum, take your picture beside your favorite Dr Pepper logo. Email, tweet, or upload your picture to our Flickr group, Favorite Dr Pepper Logo Vote! We'll keep a tally posted on our blog and Twitter with your votes! What's your favorite Dr Pepper logo? Will the 1970s logo beat out the Clock Dial for all time favorite? You be the judge!!!

Math Packs!

2009-05-18T11:46:00.003-05:00

We trying something new again here at the Dr Pepper Museum. Today we are introducing Math Packs! They are designed to create hands-on learning opportunities for elementary aged kids as they tour the museum with their families! Activities include estimating how much water is in Dr Pepper, how many Dr Pepper bottles would fit into our well, and just how far $5.00 went in the 1930s compared to today! Have fun doing some mathematical thinking and check one out when you purchase your ticket at the museum.

Special Thanks to Dr. Sandi Cooper and her Mathematical Education students at Baylor University for supplying the Math Packs to us!

Shout out!

2009-05-11T09:22:00.004-05:00

We got these photos in over the weekend of Mrs. Daughtry's class down in Houston. Each class at her school had the assignment to pick a subject related to Texas and make a float about that theme for a parade. Her class picked Dr Pepper. What a great job they did with their float! Look at those signs! Thanks for sending us the pictures!

Rock the Clock! Video

2009-04-29T13:16:00.003-05:00

Check out this great new video produced by Troy Shaw at WCCC-TV here in Waco about our latest exhibit-Rock the Clock!

Send us a Tweet!

2009-04-17T16:12:00.003-05:00

For all you Tweeters out there, we've added some great photo opportunities in the museum. The next time you are at the museum, look for our signs pointing out some prime TwitPic locations! Send us a Tweet with the picture and message letting us know when you visited us!

If you aren't a Tweeter, look for our posting on Flickr and see how you can get involved in our photomania!

Learn to be a Soda Jerk!

2009-04-10T10:17:00.008-05:00

Soon the kids will be out of school of summer and you'll be wondering what to do with them. Bring them down to the Dr Pepper Museum. Registration is now open for our Summer Camps. Camp will be in the afternoons June 29 to July 2, July 13-16, and August 10-13 for kids ages 8-13. During the week, soda jerk apprentices will create their own soft drink, make their own Dr Pepper in our soda fountain, experiment with ice cream and in general have fun with science, art and food! For more information, check www.drpeppermuseum.com.

Happy Late April Fool's Day!

2009-04-03T14:46:00.003-05:00

This year for April Fool's Day the Museum ladies surprised our Facilities Manager Sammy by dressing up as, who else! Sammy! He was pretty shocked and didn't really know how to react at first, but we got him pretty good. We have been planning this since Halloween, so it was fun to finally see it happen!! Happy late April Fool's Day everyone! Anyone else out there get someone good or have a good trick played on them?!?

Sammy is the mustached gentleman in the middle looking pretty flattered:)

Cherry Vanilla Dr Pepper's Funeral

2009-03-25T14:30:00.001-05:00

Tweet Tweet

2009-03-24T09:20:00.002-05:00

You know it was bound to happen at some point...the Dr Pepper Museum has joined Twitter! I think this is going to be a really awesome addition to our online repertoire, and I highly recommend all you Twitter users click HERE to start following us immediately! Three of the staffers here have access to the account, so you will get updates on a variety of different things and hear from more than one voice. We encourage you to @reply to us a lot so we can have convos with you, our loyal fans, and find out what kind of information you want us to put out there. Thanks SO much for your continued support, and we will see you in the tweet-o-sphere!!

10-2-4 Collector's Club Convention 2009!!!

2009-03-13T11:18:00.004-05:00

The Dr Pepper Collector's Club, the 10-2-4 Club, had their annual meeting in Waco March 4th through 7th, 2009. This was the 25th Annual Convention, and they had amazing sessions along with an auction, memorabilia swapping, delicious meals and time left over to visit with other Dr Pepper aficionados! Club members even got a sneak taste of Dr Pepper's new flavor, Dr Pepper Cherry. Everyone thought it was great! Check out some of the pictures below!

Our own Mary Beth Webster and Joy Summar-Smith did a presentation on the Prosperity Banquets that took place in Waco in 1911 and 1985. They certainly dressed the part, and did a fantastic job!

Check out their presentation!!!

Part 1

Part 2

Collections Bloggy Blog - A Moment of Silence

2009-02-25T15:07:00.004-06:00

There comes a time in every curator's life where we must say goodbye to the dearly departed, or the horribly broken. That's right everyone, some Dr Pepper stuff broke. Recently we gathered our museum powers and got ready to install the newest exhibit here at the DPM -- Rock the Clock! It turned out to be a pretty cool exhibit, but because of where it is located we always have some issues with hanging things. The particular wall in the Museum that is a hot spot for temporary exhibits happens to be on an original wall, which means that we can't drill stuff or hammer nails into it. This also means that we have weird challenges hanging artwork, and in this case, clocks. We tried several ways of hanging different types of clocks, and unfortunately, two of them did not survive.

I debated for a while about whether or not to post about this, but in the end I think it is important to be real with you all and let you know that museums aren't perfect and accidents do happen. This is the first time in my tenure that something has broken while on exhibit, and I am not denying that this damage was the fault of the staff and gravity. All the clocks that are up now are secured so we shouldn't have any other issues, but I still have to deal with the broken ones that are still part of the collection. Just like with everything else, there is a process you go through when something breaks, and without getting all technical, the general idea is that you have to submit a new condition report in Past Perfect (the museum software we use) and photograph the damage. That is what I spent some of my afternoon doing, and I have posted the pictures I took of the damage below:

1960s Clock

1980s Clock

It is really unfortunate, but I also feel pretty lucky that we are all well-trained professionals and this type of thing does not happen often. We are always learning, and constantly trying to showcase as much of our collection as we can, and now and then we have to deal with things like this. Any other museums out there have a damage story to share?

Collections Bloggy Blog #1

2009-02-16T17:27:00.010-06:00

In the name of making my technology-related duties here at the DPM a priority again, I have decided to write a blog entry every once in a while. Don't get me wrong, I would love to do nothing but blog and video blog and podcast and FOTM all the doo-da-day, but alas, that is not the reality in which I live. I love my collections work, too, and that, along with the 800 other hats we all wear around here, has taken over my life. OK, enough excuses, here is the first installment of Collections Bloggy Blog...

As some of you can probably relate, when we find ourselves moving from one space to a newer, roomier, grander arrangement, the best intentions take over and we vow to never let our new haven look like that bottomless pit we just moved everything out of. Ha! Nice one. That NEVER happens. The house I moved into a little over a year ago is usually tidy and welcoming, but only in the rooms we have finished. Oh, there are doors closed all over that house waiting for some unsuspecting person to open them and have piles of unfiled bills, boxes of wrapping paper, and odd furniture pieces leap out. Well, when we moved the Collections storage rooms and offices from the main Museum building to the Kellum-Rotan building last summer, our intentions were indeed grand. However, I found myself yesterday (the one day I am here by myself and therefore have lots of look-around-and-contemplate time) in awe of how totally cluttered and hectic my office was. I am blessed to have a pretty big space available to me to clutter up, but that is just it, the more space you have the more crap gets dumped there. It is kind of like having a big purse; people always say they don't have a big purse because they could never fill it up. Well, that is false. You can ALWAYS fill up a big purse, trust me, I know. Once I feel like I get a grip on the mess, something else like an exhibit or special event or organizational binge happens and it is all shot.

That is the situation I found myself in yesterday; looking at the objects from about three exhibits that had not yet been put away. I try to have a system for everything, and I have to say our system of pulling objects for exhibits is pretty genius. I have no idea if it has been done before or if there is a better way to do it, but since my fabulous assistant Jen thought it up things have run a lot smoother around here come time for an exhibit to end. One of the exhibits I was faced with yesterday was installed before this system was implemented, which was one of the main causes of my frustration. Putting all the stuff away is me least favorite part of the exhibit process anyway, much less when I have no idea where any of it came from. One of the other exhibits we just did used a good portion of the clocks from our collection, and their boxes have been stacked waist high for about a month now. Once the exhibit was done and the final touches were made I marked all the boxes and my other assistant, Robin, and I are going to put them back on the shelves today.

Clock Exhibit boxes about to be put away

Some bottles that still need to be put away

Here is a brief run-down of our system... There is a box on our supply shelves called the Pulling Objects Box. Everyone knows where it is and how to use it, and students who come in from the Baylor Museum Studies classes get an orientation on it before they are allowed to do their exhibits. This proves very helpful in general because I am by far not the only person pulling objects for exhibits; it would be safe to say that almost everyone around here does it at some point. Inside the POB is a laminated instructions sheet and a list in a mylar sleeve with a column for the name of the exhibit you are pulling for, and a second column for the color post-it that will correspond with that exhibit. For example, the clock exhibit started out with green post-its then moved on to purple when the green ones ran out. All the post-its you need are in the box. When you go to the shelves and decide to use something out of a box, you write the object number on the post-it, stick it to the box, and secure it with a piece of tape for good measure. You leave the box on the shelf where you found it. Previously we stored boxes that had things taken out for exhibits in a separate area, but this is a much better use of time and space, I think. We have used this method with our internal staff as well as student workers and it has worked really well so far.

A shot of the system in action!

I also found myself playing a game of acid free box tetris yesterday. Going back to my previous observation about filling up the space you are given, our space has already almost reached its limit. We are constantly shifting things to make room for new things and making slight adjustments here and there. Thus is the life of a Collections Manager (CM from now on). I hope these blog entries, if indeed I can manage to write them on a regular basis, will give non-museum people some insight into our life behind the scenes, and maybe help or entertain (for better or worse) fellow museum people. Look out for a video blog sometime soon, too!

Acid Free Box Tetris, anyone?

Rock the Clock!

2009-02-02T13:53:00.003-06:00

Tic, Toc, Tic, Toc! Time for a Cold Doc! Come on over to the museum and see our clock collection. It's available to see every day except Sunday at 10 am. Plus 2 and 4! Have you ever wondered why companies advertised on a clock? A clock is something people look at throughout the day on a regular basis and an ad on that clock sure would make you remember the product! And Dr Pepper had those great times for you to watch the clock--10, 2, and 4! The museum has many clocks and watches featuring soft drink logos over the years. This exhibit opened January 31st and will run through August! Don't forget to rock the clock by getting a cold Doc in the soda fountain at 10, 2, or 4 o'clock! (Or any other time for that matter!)

The Cooler Crowd

2008-12-15T10:57:00.000-06:00

Come join the Cooler Crowd as they party in our new exhibit gallery! As they talk to each other and you, you'll learn what it is like to be a vending machine from a hundred years ago and what is like to work on the front line today! Come visit with them!

A Dr Pepper Christmas!

2008-12-12T13:13:00.000-06:00

On Friday, December 5th the Dr Pepper Museum hosted its second annual holiday event! There was food, music, delicious HOT Dr Pepper, and good conversation all around! Check out these pictures of some of the festivities:

November Video Blog!!

2008-12-02T13:30:00.000-06:00

October 2008 Video Blog!!!

2008-10-16T13:34:00.001-05:00

Dr Pepper Spirit

2008-08-25T13:42:00.000-05:00

Hello DP fans!

Just a quick update, the Museum is opening up a new exhibit on the partnership between Baylor University and Dr Pepper. As part of the exhibit we are showcasing photos of fans at Baylor Events. Please send us any photos you might have of you and your friends enjoying a refreshing Dr Pepper while supporting the Baylor Bears. All photos should be sent to intern@drpeppermuseum.com. We'll be posting those pictures on our blog and in the museum. If you aren't a Baylor Bear fan (cause we know there are couple of you out there that aren't), go ahead and send us your photo and you might just make our hall of fame, too.

To all the Baylor Bears out there, welcome back and have a great semester. Go Bears!

The last Diet Soda Taste Challenge (#7)

2008-08-22T15:03:00.000-05:00

Today we held our last Diet Soda Taste Challenge of the summer. We repeated last week's test using 4 different Diet colas made by the Coca-Cola company. A total of 29 people took the test. These were the results.

In the #1 position

Coke Zero
12 people chose this drink
41.4% of individuals liked this drink the most
Diet Coke with Splenda
7 people chose this drink
24.1% of indivduals liked this drink the most
Diet Coke
6 people chose this drink
20.7% of individuals liked this drink the most
Tab
4 people chose this drink
13.8% of individuals liked this drink the most

In the #2 position

Diet Coke
9 people chose this drink
31.0% of individuals liked this drink second
Tab
8 people chose this drink
27.6% of individuals liked this drink second
Diet Coke with Splenda
7 people chose this drink
24.1% of individuals liked this drink second
Coke Zero
5 people chose this drink
17.2% of individuals liked this drink second

In the #3 position

Tab
10 people chose this drink
34.5% of individuals liked this drink third
Diet Coke
9 people chose this drink
31.0% of individuals liked this drink third
Coke Zero
5 people chose this drink
17.2% of individuals liked this drink third
Diet Coke with Splenda
Also 5 people chose this drink
17.2% of individuals liked this drink third

In the #4 position

Diet Coke with Splenda
10 people chose this drink
34.5% of individuals liked this drink the least
Coke Zero
7 people chose this drink
24.1% of individuals liked this drink the least
Tab
Also 7 people chose this drink
24.1% of individuals liked this drink the least
Diet Coke
5 people chose this drink
17.2% of individuals liked this drink the least

These diet soda taste challenges were held in conjunction with our diet soda exhibit. The exhibit can be found on the 2nd floor in the classroom and can be seen until April of next year. The exhibit can also be seen online. Come and learn about diet sodas and see the rest of the museum.

Diet Taste Challenge #6

2008-08-15T14:59:00.000-05:00

We had our sixth Diet Taste Challenge today. This time we pitted the diet colas that Coca-cola company makes against each other: Tab, Diet Coke, Coke Zero and Diet Coke with Splenda. We had 21 people who took the blind taste test and these were the results:

In the #1 position

Diet Coke With Splenda
10 people chose this drink
47.6% of individuals liked this drink the most
Tab
6 people chose this drink
30.2% of indivduals liked this drink the most
Diet Coke
5 people chose this drink
23.8% of individuals liked this drink the most
Coke Zero
0 people chose this drink
0% of individuals liked this drink the most

In the #2 position

Coke Zero
11 people chose this drink
52.4% of individuals liked this drink second
Tab
4 people chose this drink
19.0% of individuals liked this drink second
Diet Coke with Splenda
3 people chose this drink
14.3% of individuals liked this drink second
Diet Coke
Also 3 people chose this drink
14.3% of individuals liked this drink second

In the #3 position

Diet Coke with Splenda
6 people chose this drink
28.6% of individuals liked this drink third
Diet Coke
Also 6 people chose this drink
28.6% of individuals liked this drink third
Coke Zero
5 people chose this drink
23.8% of individuals liked this drink third
Tab
4 people chose this drink
19.0% of individuals liked this drink third

In the #4 position

Tab
7 people chose this drink
33.3% of individuals liked this drink the least
Diet Coke
Also 7 people chose this drink
33.3% of individuals liked this drink the least
Coke Zero
5 people chose this drink
23.8% of individuals liked this drink the least
Diet Coke with Splenda
2 people chose this drink
9.5% of individuals liked this drink the least

The next taste challenge will be next friday at the Dr Pepper Museum on the 2nd floor at 2 PM. Come and give your tastes a test!

Diet Taste Challenge #5

2008-08-13T15:59:00.000-05:00

Hi Everyone! These are the results of last Friday's Diet Tast Challenge. We changed the diet sodas and did a blind taste test on lemon-lime sodas. A total of 55 people rated 4 different lemon-lime drinks and said what they preferred. The results are the following:

In the #1 position

7UP
19 people chose this drink
36.5% of individuals liked this drink the most
Sprite Zero
16 people chose this drink
30.2% of indivduals liked this drink the most
Diet Twist Up
13 people chose this drink
25% of individuals liked this drink the most
Diet Sierra Mist
7 people chose this drink
13.7% of individuals liked this drink the most

In the #2 position

Diet Twist Up
17 people chose this drink
33.3% of individuals liked this drink second
Diet Sierra Mist
14 people chose this drink
27.5% of individuals liked this drink second
Sprite Zero
10 people chose this drink
19.6% of individuals liked this drink second
Diet 7UP
9 people chose this drink
17.7% of individuals liked this drink second

In the #3 position

Diet Twist Up
15 people chose this drink
29.4% of individuals liked this drink third
Sprite Zero
Also 15 people chose this drink
29.4% of individuals liked this drink third
Diet Sierra Mist
11 people chose this drink
21.6% of individuals liked this drink third
Diet 7UP
10 people chose this drink
19.6% of individuals liked this drink third

In the #4 position

Diet Sierra Mist
19 people chose this drink
37.3% of individuals liked this drink the least
Diet 7UP
14 people chose this drink
27.5% of individuals liked this drink the least
Sprite Zero
12 people chose this drink
23.5.4% of individuals liked this drink the least
Diet Twist Up
6 people chose this drink
11.7% of individuals liked this drink the least

Come back again this Friday for another exciting Diet Taste Challenge! These challenges are held on the 2nd floor in the classroom of the Dr Pepper Museum at 2 PM for anyone who wants to give their tastes a test.

A Big Task: Moving the Dr Pepper Museum's Bottle Collection

2008-08-11T16:42:00.000-05:00

Written by Robin Kelly, Collections Intern, Summer 2008

The Dr Pepper Museum has a collection of over 25,000 objects and a large chunk of those are soda bottles. The Museum’s mission is to “educate and entertain the general public through the collection, preservation, interpretation, and exhibition of objects relevant to the history of the soft drink industry, and through that example, the free enterprise economic system.” Because the Museum is not owned or operated by any particular soft drink distributor, its collection contains bottles from any (and by any I mean every) soda company. From A&W root beer to Yoo-Hoo chocolate drink and almost everything in between, the Museum has collected somewhere between five and six thousand bottles. Though about half of them are Dr Pepper bottles, there are still hundreds of different brand names in the collection.

The bottle collection was kept in the basement under the Museum even though the whole collections department moved to the Kellum-Rotan building last summer so that there would be more storage and exhibit space. Eventually, other departments of the museum will be moved over as renovation on the building progresses. The collections staff had constructed some creative bottle racks in the newer building and it was my summer job to go through all of the bottles, inventory them, find out which bottles we have too many of, move two of each type of bottle over to the Kellum-Rotan building and organize them on the bottle racks.

There were more than four thousand bottles in the basement sorted in various ways. Some of the bottles were in boxes; many were sitting alone on shelves. There were some in drawers; many were in crates, stacked on shelves or on top of each other. It was a rather daunting task. It took me three weeks to go through and inventory all of the bottles (recording the name, material, size, and anything else important) and get my inventory into the computer and then three more weeks to go through the bottles again and sort out what would be moved to the bottle racks and what would stay in the basement for the time being.

Precautions were taken to keep the bottles in relatively good condition while they were in the basement. They were stored away from any sunlight that could damage them and they were also kept off of the floor in all instances to avoid damage from any water (or other things) that might happen to leak from the ceiling. The major brands were mostly together and the old old bottles were kept separately in boxes. The main problem was that no one knew where to find anything. It is the Museum’s collection policy to collect two of each item. But when new bottles were donated, no one would know if we already had any of this particular type. This would lead to bottles being collected that shouldn’t have been and general confusion in the basement.

The bottle racks were built against the wall out of two wire grids, one on top of the other. The outside grid is larger so that a bottle can be placed, resting with the neck in the smaller grid and the body in the larger grid. The bottle is angled downward with the head resting on the wall so that it can’t slip out. In the bottle racks there was room for more than three thousand bottles but before we could place them, another intern and I needed to wrap each rack with a strip of felt to protect the bottles from scraping on the rack and also to cushion them. That also took a while.

After we finished wrapping all of the bottle racks, we alphabetized the bottles by name. We had pulled two of each type of bottle from the collection (or one if there weren’t two available) and we placed them all on the bottle racks by letter. A few of the bottles were either too large or too small and wouldn’t fit on the racks but we ended up with around 1400 on the racks. Now the bottles are easy to find and identify. We marked where each letter begins so if new bottles are donated, the collections staff can make sure that we don’t have two of that bottle before accepting. We also left many of the bottle racks empty while we worked so there will be room for new bottles in the collection. The bottles that were not put on the bottle racks will stay in the basement until later this year when they will be moved and become a part of the prop collection or the education collection.

Organization and records are extremely important for museum collections and I’m glad that I was able to spend my summer helping the Dr Pepper Museum complete a big project that will make a big difference to the collections staff in the future.

A few tips for taking care of antique glass:

• Gloves are usually used when handling old and delicate objects to protect them from the oils on your hands but gloves are often too slippery when you’re handling glass. So skip the gloves but wash your hands often.

• Always use both hands when moving your glass.

• Try to keep the glass out of direct sunlight because this can cause discoloration.

• If you are washing your glass, avoid the dishwasher and wash them yourself. One at a time in warm water with very little detergent and a soft bottle brush should do it.

• If you collect soda bottles, empty them out and make sure they are clean before you store them. 50 year old soda is pretty gross.

• Leave the lids off of bottles when you store them because any moisture caught inside will be trapped and cloud up the glass.

• Extreme changes in temperature can make your glass explode. Try to avoid that.

Robin Kelley interned at the Dr Pepper Museum during the Summer of 2008 and will continue in the fall as a part-time Collections Assistant.

The End Approaches

2008-08-04T14:22:00.000-05:00

It is getting closer and closer to the end of summer and we've got one more week of camp to go. It is next week August 11-14 from 1 to 4:30 pm. We've still got a few spaces open, so sign your kids up soon!

We also have a couple of Diet Soda Taste Challenges to go. In the coming weeks we will be featuring exclusively lemon-lime and cola flavors. Remember Fridays at 2pm. Last chance to participate is Friday, August 29.

Diet Taste Test Challenge Week 4

2008-08-01T14:17:00.000-05:00

This week we repeated the Diet vs. Regular Challenge. However, we had some new interesting results. We had 35 participants and this is how they voted:

Dr Pepper
11 chose A as the diet drink.
24 chose B as the diet drink.

B was the right answer. 68.8% chose B.

RC Cola
26 chose C as the diet drink.
9 chose D as the diet drink.

C was the right answer. 74.2% chose C.

7 Up
24 chose E as the diet drink.
11 chose F as the diet drink.

E was the right answer. 68.6% chose E.

A&W Root Beer
19 chose G as the diet drink.
16 chose H as the diet drink.

H was the right answer. 45.7% chose H.

That was the results for this week. Join us next week for a new exciting taste challenge unlike any of them before!

Diet Taste Challenge #3

2008-07-25T15:16:00.000-05:00

In the third exciting week of our Diet Taste Challenge, we decided to repeat week #1 taste challenge and 43 people answered the question, "Which diet do you prefer?" Though we expected similar results as the first week, we were proven wrong. The results this week were the following:

In the #1 position

Tab
16 people chose this drink
37.2% of individuals liked this drink the most
Diet Pepsi
10 people chose this drink
23.8% of indivduals liked this drink the most
Diet RC
8 people chose this drink
18.6% of individuals liked this drink the most
Diet HEB Original
7 people chose this drink
16.3% of individuals liked this drink the most

In the #2 position

Diet HEB Original
13 people chose this drink
31.0% of individuals liked this drink second
Diet Pepsi
12 people chose this drink
28.6% of individuals liked this drink second
Tab
8 people chose this drink
19.0% of individuals liked this drink second
Diet RC
7 people chose this drink
16.7% of individuals liked this drink second

In the #3 position

Diet RC
17 people chose this drink
40.5% of individuals liked this drink third
Diet HEB Original
11 people chose this drink
26.2% of individuals liked this drink third
Diet Pepsi
10 people chose this drink
23.8% of individuals liked this drink third
Tab
2 people chose this drink
4.8% of individuals liked this drink third

In the #4 position

Tab
15 people chose this drink
35.7% of individuals liked this drink the least
Diet HEB Original
10 people chose this drink
23.8% of individuals liked this drink the least
Diet RC
9 people chose this drink
21.4% of individuals liked this drink the least
Diet Pepsi
8 people chose this drink
19.0% of individuals liked this drink the least

Join us next week for the next exciting diet taste challenge!! The Diet Soda Taste Challenge is held at 2 PM on the 2nd floor of the Dr Pepper museum.

The Skinny on Diet Drinks

2008-07-21T14:51:00.002-05:00

As part of our newest exhibit, The Skinny on Diet Drinks, Amber spent some time talking with our visitors about their favorite soft drinks. Check out what they had to say in our video blog. Then post a video blog about your favorite soft drink to our You Tube site.

Diet Taste Test Challenge #2

2008-07-18T15:12:00.000-05:00

We had our 2nd taste challenge today. This time we put diet sodas against their regular brand to see if people could choose the diet drink. The 4 brands chosen were Dr Pepper, RC, 7 Up and A&W Root Beer. We asked 45 people "Which is the Diet?" Their selections were as follows:

Dr Pepper
37 chose A as the diet drink.
8 chose B as the diet drink.

A was the right answer. 82% chose A.

RC Cola
10 chose C as the diet drink.
35 chose D as the diet drink.

D was the right answer. 77% chose D.

7 Up
21 chose E as the diet drink.
24 chose F as the diet drink.

F was the right answer. 53% chose F.

A&W Root Beer
26 chose G as the diet drink.
18 chose H as the diet drink.

G was the right answer. 57% chose G.

Next week we will pit four kinds of diet colas against each other. Come and test the difference for yourself. See you next Friday at 2 pm on the 2nd floor.

Diet Taste Test Challenge #1

2008-07-11T15:08:00.000-05:00

To go along with our new Diet exhibit, the Dr Pepper Museum issued a challenge to its visitors. This week's challenge was "Which diet cola do you Prefer?" We tested Diet Pepsi, Diet RC, Tab, and Diet HEB Original. We asked 41 people their opinion in a blind taste test and here are the results.

In the #1 position

Diet HEB Original
20 people chose this drink
48.7% of individuals liked this drink the most
Tab
8 people chose this drink
19.5% of indivduals liked this drink the most
Diet Pepsi
7 people chose this drink
17.1% of individuals liked this drink the most
Diet RC
5 people chose this drink
12.2% of individuals liked this drink the most

In the #2 position

Tab
13 people chose this drink
31.7% of individuals liked this drink second
Diet Pepsi
10 people chose this drink
24.3% of individuals liked this drink second
Diet RC
10 people chose this drink
24.3% of individuals liked this drink second
Diet HEB Original
7 people chose this drink
17.1% of individuals liked this drink second

In the #3 position

Diet RC
18 people chose this drink
43.9% of individuals liked this drink third
Diet Pepsi
8 people chose this drink
19.5% of individuals liked this drink third
Tab
8 people chose this drink
19.5 % of individuals liked this drink third
Diet HEB Original
6 people chose this drink
14.6% of individuals liked this drink third

In the #4 position

Diet Pepsi
15 people chose this drink
36.5% of individuals liked this drink the least
Tab
11 people chose this drink
26.8% of individuals liked this drink the least
Diet HEB Original
7 people chose this drink
17.1% of individuals liked this drink the least
Diet RC
7 people chose this drink
17.1% of individuals liked this drink the least

These are the results for this week. Next week will be a new and different challenge so come on down and give your tastebuds a test! Come and see us next Friday at 2 pm at the Dr Pepper Museum.

Summer Camp: Week 2

2008-07-08T13:34:00.000-05:00

The Second Week of Summer Camp has come and gone. It was much busier than the first week of camp. There were twenty-nine kids that attended camp this week. We had many interesting characters attend this week of camp. . We had brothers and sisters, cousins, friends, and neighbors that came to camp. We had several people from San Antonio and everywhere around Texas attending this week’s camp.. The same 4 programs again this week, but it was definitely a bit livelier than the previous week. On the Create a Soft Drink day we had a group create Funky Monkey and created a commercial making monkey noises. On Soda Pop Science Day, there was more homemade ice cream along with homemade silly putty for creeping out camp counselors. On the Pop Art Day, straw painting got a bit wilder this time with all the kids, but thankfully the walls didn’t get a new coat of paint. With Summer Camp, there is a day for every kid to love and there are still a few spots open for our last week in August.

Summer Camp: Week 1

2008-07-08T12:47:00.001-05:00

Long hot summer days and the smell of Dr Pepper and ice cream in the air can only mean one thing; it is time for summer camp! The first week of camp was fun. This week had only about eight kids but they made it a blast! We had children as far away as Austin attended this week’s camp. On the first day the campers did a Create a Soft Drink Program where they combined 3 different flavors to make their own soda drink. Popular flavors were grape, pineapple, and green apple. (Thanks to Jell-Craft in San Antonio for getting us some great new flavors!) After they created their soft drink they performed commercials advertising their new product. On the second day, Soda Jerk Academy, the campers made many different sweets using both soda and ice cream. They also jerked their own soda drinks in our soda fountain. We had children turning down ice cream! They left that day with a full stomach. The third day was Soda Pop Science. The children learned about water filters and about the science behind soda drinks. One experiment had kids blowing up balloons using baking soda and vinegar. At the end of that day it was time for more ice cream—the old-fashioned way. And they didn’t turn it down this time, when you put that much work into it, you have to eat it. The last day of camp was Pop Art Day. During this day students learned about different types of art and created their own art. They created their own modern art paintings using soda straws and paint. They also created their own picture frame with Dr Pepper bottle caps to place a picture of them to remember their time here.

July Video Blog!

2008-07-08T09:34:00.001-05:00

2008-07-02T11:06:00.003-05:00

Hi, my name is Josh. I am a Media Communications and Information major at Texas State Technical College. I work at the Dr Pepper Museum as a carbonic engineer (soda jerk). I recently started an internship at the museum as well. I have been working here for some time; I know the museum like the front and back of my hand, so it is hard to say what I like best about this place. If I had to pick it would be all the people I have meet over the years—many I have become close friends with.

As a part of my internship, I was ask to pick my favorite collection piece from the museum, photograph it and write about the piece I choose in a blog. I choose a collection of diet 7-Up bottles. Seven-Up is an interesting brand. I remember as a child when I was ill, my mother would give me some Seven-Up to make me feel better. Seven-Up is not exactly a prescribed drug for illness, but it sure tastes more enjoyable then other remedies. The bottles I choose are on the second floor of the museum in the new exhibit, “The Skinny on Diet Drinks.”

Here are some other pictures I’ve taken of the museum’s collection.

Diet vs Regular: More Soda Drinkers Weigh In

2008-07-01T13:38:00.000-05:00

Jack McKinney, Executive Director:
"Well, I know my doctor prefers that people drink diet sodas! Personally, I like Diet Cherry Vanilla Dr Pepper because it still taste sweet, and Diet A&W Root Beer and Diet Cream Soda because I think they taste similar to their originals."

Jennie Sheppard, Director of Communications:
"I like Diet 7Up and Diet Caffine-Free Dr Pepper, since I don't drink caffine. Also, I think that diet soft drinks have a lighter, crisper taste.

Amber Schneider, Exhibits Intern:
"I rarely drink diet sodas because I don't like the aftertaste, but I sometimes drink Coke Zero. I like cane sugar Dr Pepper a lot because it's really sweet, but my favorite soft drinks are the old fashion flavors like Ginger Ale, Cream Soda and Black Cherry Soda."

July FAN OF THE MONTH!!!

2008-07-01T09:23:00.000-05:00

Wow it has been forever since we have done a FAN OF THE MONTH!!! Our July FAN OF THE MONTH is named Reagan Hailey and she is awesome! Read on to find out what Reagan likes about Dr Pepper:

My name is Reagan Hailey and I’m from Idaho Falls, Idaho. My favorite drink of all time is Dr Pepper and since last summer after discovering the Dr Pepper Museum by watching soda ads on YouTube I have been wanting to go there so badly.

Luckily we go to Texas once a year to visit family, but this January I was so sick I needed a lung transplant. We planned on driving from Houston to Waco one day to visit the Museum. And now right before going back home to Idaho I get to do what I have always wanted to do.

I guess the reason why I like Dr Pepper is because of its taste. It’s different from any other soft drink and tastes sweeter. I don’t like colas and root beer. I just plain don’t like them, but I love Dr Pepper. I try to collect Dr Pepper merchandise and I drink it at least once every day. For my whole thirteen years of my life Dr Pepper is the only soda I have really loved. I am kind of addicted to it.

To nominate yourself or someone you know for the Dr Pepper Museum FAN OF THE MONTH, email us at collections@drpeppermuseum.com!

Diet vs. Regular: Soda Drinkers Weigh In

2008-06-18T13:58:00.000-05:00

Jessica, Programs Assistant at the Dr Pepper Museum:
“Diet because of the calories. I like both Diet Dr Pepper and Coke Zero.”

Joy, Director of Interpretation at the Dr Pepper Museum:
“I drink diet sodas because I like the flavor, and I prefer Diet Caffeine-Free Dr Pepper.”

Sammy, Facilities Manager at the Dr Pepper Museum:
“I only drink regular because I don’t like the aftertaste of diet sodas. I usually drink Dr Pepper.”

Check back later to see what other soda drinkers prefer!

http://coolspotters.com/characters/stewie-griffin
Stewie Griffin is a fan of Tab

DR PEPPER MUSEUM OPENS "THE SKINNY ON DIET DRINKS"

2008-06-18T13:36:00.000-05:00

Lighten up this summer at the Dr Pepper Museum! Do you know the original name of Diet 7Up? Or, what country consumes the most diet soda products per capita? (hint: it’s not the U.S.!). Come find the answers to these questions and learn more about your favorite soda’s low-cal version at the Dr Pepper Museum’s new exhibit, The Skinny on Diet Drinks.

Opening June 28, 2008, The Skinny on Diet Drinks explores the history behind some of the most beloved diet soft drinks, such as early favorite Diet Rite and cult classic Tab, with its iconic pink can. Also, visitors will learn about the different forms of artificial sweeteners and why they are hotly debated.

Each Friday afternoon in July you can try the drinks yourself! At 2pm there will be a blind taste test to find out which diet soda really is most like their original with the Dr Pepper Museum’s Diet Soda Taste Challenge. Who knows, you might even become a diet soda convert…

www.nataliedee.com Cans from the exhibit

New Faces

2008-06-06T15:29:00.000-05:00

We've got a lot of new faces around here at the museum as you can see. Some of these faces you might see as you wander through the museum. Others rarely see the light of day.

Some of these new faces are our interns that are spending the summer trying to figure out what museum work is all about. Here's a bit about them:

Kailyn
Howdy bloggers! My name is Kailyn and I am the Programs Intern for summer 2008. I am a five foot, red head who looks more like I am sixteen years old than in my twenties. I have lived in Waco for most of my life. I graduated from Waco High School in 2005. I am now a senior studying history from Harding University in Arkansas. One interesting fact about me is that I like to collect old newspapers. One of my oldest newspapers is the news of Roosevelt’s death in 1945. If you really want to find anything else about me, then you should come down and visit the museum today!

Amber
Hi, my name is Amber and I am the Exhibits Intern at the Dr Pepper Museum. I graduated in May 2007 from Baylor University with a BA in History and Archaeology, and I am currently a graduate student at Baylor working towards a Master’s in Museum Studies. I have always been interested in history, so being able to work in a museum is great ( and fun!). This summer I will be helping plan and implement an upcoming exhibit about diet soft drinks, and assisting the Director of Interpretation at the museum with other projects. I am excited to be a part of the Dr Pepper team and look forward to good summer!

Robin
Robin grew up in Georgia and is now attending Baylor where she will soon graduate with a BA in museum studies and anthropology. We found her one cold day in January outside the museum and decided to let her hang around for a while. Now she's a real intern and spends her time rummaging around in the basement inventorying the museum's large bottle collection and making friends with most of the spiders that live there. In the fall she will be attending Texas Tech to study to become a blind rehabilitation specialist.

Each one has a great project to work on this summer and you'll hear from them later on about what they've been doing. Until then look for their shining happy faces around the museum.

Calling all Campers!

2008-06-05T10:39:00.000-05:00

We are gearing up for camp in a couple of weeks around here and have some great programs planned. And guess what?! It involves a lot of food! Campers will get to create their very own soft drink, make ice cream, and even make a float or two! It is a great place to learn how to be a real certifiable jerk! Camp is Monday-Thursday from 1:00-4:30 pm the weeks of June 23, June 30, and August 11. So if you have a kid between 8 and 13, sign them up today. Check www.drpeppermuseum.com/News-Events/Special-Events.aspx for more information or just email Jessica at tours@drpeppermuseum.com.

AAM 2008

2008-05-20T09:19:00.000-05:00

This is a little late coming, I know, but here are some pics of our fabulous trip to Denver for the 2008 American Association of Museums conference! We learned so much and had a great time all around. The Dr Pepper Museum's video blogs were even featured in a session! To find out more about that make sure you watch the latest video blog! So it snowed the first day we were there, was sunny the entire time we were there, then woke up to nothing but white on our last day. Crazy weather!

May 2008 Video Blog

2008-05-19T11:44:00.001-05:00

April FAN OF THE MONTH!!

2008-04-11T15:20:00.000-05:00

Congratulations to Justin!! You are the Dr Pepper Museum April FAN OF THE MONTH!! Justin was nominated by his good friend Belynda who had this to say about why Justin should be the FAN OF THE MONTH:

"I have a good friend who was born with Cerebral palsy. His Name is
Justin. He just started collage and is having a little bit of a hard
time because he can't use his hands to write and not many of his
classmates want to help. However he does love living on his own! He
has been a Dr Pepper fan since he could drink . He is the bigest fan I
ever met. You would crack up if you read his myspace. "i like dr.
pepper" Male 19 years old. His name is Justin on myspace. It has Dr
Pepper all over it.
His dorm room is covered with nothing but Dr Pepper Stuff."

Thanks for your nomination, Belynda! It has become clear to me that Justin is extremely devoted to Dr Pepper! Here are a few things he has written about Dr Pepper:

Justin's Dr Pepper Questionnaire

Name: justin
Birthday: when i had a sip of my first dr.pepper, i was born
Birthplace: houston
Current Location: in the kitchen drinkning a dr.pepper
Eye Color: blue
Hair Color: brown
Height: no clue
Right Handed or Left Handed: left
Your Heritage: i dont know but i sure do like dr.pepper
The Shoes You Wore Today:
Your Weakness: dr.pepper
Your Fears: coke fanitics
Your Perfect Pizza: dr.pepper
Goal You Would Like To Achieve This Year: work for dr.pepper
Your Most Overused Phrase On an instant messenger: brb getting dr.pepper
Thoughts First Waking Up: man, i want a dr.pepper
Your Bedtime: whenever
Your Most Missed Memory: your last dr.pepper
Pepsi or Coke: I HATE YOU
MacDonald’s or Burger King: DR.PEPPER
Single or Group Dates: double date with dr.pepper
Lipton Ice Tea or Nestea: dr.pepper
Chocolate or Vanilla: dr.pepper
Cappuccino or Coffee: dr.pepper
Do you Swear: no, i dont say coke
Do you sing: only for dr.pepper
Do you Shower Daily: in dr.pepper
Have you been in Love: with dr.pepper
Do you want to go to College: U of D (university of dr.pepper)
Do you want to get married: yes, to dr.pepper
Do you believe in yourself: i only do when im drinking dr.pepper
Do you get Motion Sickness: ya, without MY dr.pepper
Do you think you are Attractive: i think dr.pepper is attracted to me
Are you a Health Freak: im a dr.pepper freak
Do you get along with your Parents: no they drink coke
Do you like Thunderstorms: yeah when they rain dr. pepper
Do you play an Instrument: i blow bublles in dr.pepper
In the past month have you been on : dr.pepper
In the past month have you gone on a Date: i went to the movies with dr.pepper
In the past month have you gone to a Mall: ya with dr.pepper
In the past month have you eaten a box of Oreos: no i have drank a
truck of Dr.Pepper though
In the past month have you eaten Sushi: no but i have drank dr.pepper
In the past month have you been on Stage: ya, rocking out with dr.pepper
In the past month have you been Dumped: ya i dumped coke
In the past month have you gone Skinny Dipping: ya only when dr.pepper
isnt looking
In the past month have you Stolen Anything: ya dr.pepper
Ever been drunk: on dr.pepper
Ever been called a Tease: ya coke calls my name but i dont listen
Ever been Beaten up: no i beat up coke
Ever Shoplifted: ya dr.pepper
How do you want to die: drinkning a dr.pepper
What do you want to be when you grow up: dr.pepper salesman
What country would you most like to visit: anywhere dr.pepper is... i
will be there

Justin's Ode to Dr Pepper

While I sit the here drinking a Dr. Pepper I can’t help, but to think why I like thee so. It there when I got a unquenchable thirst, it there when I need a shoulder to cry on, it there when I’m lonely, and it there when the I need a little flavor added to my life. I guess you can call Dr. Pepper my soul mate. I can think of a world without it. The world would become flavorless, lonely ,and dark. I love Dr. Pepper till death do us apart.

Here are some pics of Justin and his Dr Pepper rooms!

I you are interested in nominating yourself or someone you know for FAN OF THE MONTH please email us at collections@drpeppermuseum.com!

Dr Pepper Museum Video Blogs are BACK!!!

2008-04-03T16:17:00.001-05:00

10-2-4 Club Madness and TAM 2008

2008-04-01T16:38:00.001-05:00

Wow, this blog is a two-fer today! Two exciting events happened last month that the Dr Pepper Museum staff always looks forward to: the 10-2-4 Collectors' Club Convention and the Texas Association of Museum conference. Both are great venues to network with other people who love the same things we do!

10-2-4 Collectors' Club Convention 2008

Every year Dr Pepper collectors from all over the United States gather in Waco, TX to share collectibles, information, and just good old fashioned Dr Pepper fun! The Museum always hosts an opening dinner, and this year we got to show everyone our wonderful new collections storage. Joy and Brian did an excellent seminar about drug stores and their relationship with soft drinks, and we are hoping to get the video of that up shortly. Enjoy photos and be sure to check out the club website on the links page of the Museum's website to find out more information about joining the 10-2-4 Collectors' Club!

Texas Association of Museums 2008

TAM always serves as a great professional development opportunity for the staff here at the Museum, and this year it was in beautiful Galveston, TX! Mary Beth was a speaker at a workshop about podcasting that was very well-received and has re-energized her to crank out some more podcasts and video blogs!! Everyone went to informative sessions and even had a little time for beach visits in between. There aren't any pictures of us in sessions because we were too busy listening and taking good notes, but here are a few to let you know what the feel of the trip was like. If you are a museum professional from Texas and are interested in attending this meeting visit TAM's website here. The Dr Pepper Museum's online exhibit Behind the Label: Cadbury Schweppes is actually TAM's featured exhibit right now, so be sure to check it out!

The view from our hotel

Mary Beth is very excited about the beach!

The beautiful Ashton Villa

Seashells!!

Mary Beth as a roughneck at the Offshore Oil Rig and Museum

March Fan of The Month

2008-02-27T16:24:00.000-06:00

After a slight hiatus, the official Dr Pepper FAN OF THE MONTH is back! Nathan K. is our FAN OF THE MONTH for March, and he is a huge Dr Pepper fan!

"It is very difficult to put into words why I Love Dr. Pepper without coming across as trite or cheesy. From the logo and themes to the taste, Dr. Pepper has surpassed all other beverages. Hopefully the following will explain the reasoning behind my Love of Dr. Pepper.
Dr. Pepper has a magnificent taste. It has the right blend of flavors that work together to create the perfect soda. It’s a refreshing taste that helps me relax after a long day. I prefer the taste of Dr. Pepper above everything else. Dr. Pepper is the “King of Beverages.”
Over the years, Dr. Pepper has come out with many catchy logos, jingles, and themes. These have contributed to my Love for Dr. Pepper. I have used the logo in creating art, such as my Dr. Pepper portfolio and a Dr. Pepper lawn sprinkler. My living room has a Dr. Pepper color scheme as well as multiple Dr. Pepper paraphernalia. Also with catchy commercials how could anyone not want to “Be a Pepper” or crave a Dr. Pepper at the hours of “10, 2, and 4?”
Dr. Pepper is hands down my favorite beverage. From flavor to themes, I can say with confidence that I’m a Pepper and always will be. Dr. Pepper is, without a doubt, “Good For Life!”"

What an amazing Dr Pepper fan! If you would like to nominate yourself or someone you know for April FAN OF THE MONTH, email me at collections@drpeppermuseum.com.

Dr Pepper + Sephora = Lip Gloss Magic!

2008-02-26T10:58:00.001-06:00

Hello Dr Pepper lovers! I apologize for the long delay in between posts, but things have been so crazy around here! Today I want to tell you about one of the projects that I worked on at the end of last year that has finally come to fruition! Sephora has just announced the release of a new line of lip gloss from the company on10 featuring Dr Pepper and Schweppes flavors. The Dr Pepper Museum helped provide the artwork for the packaging, which I think turned out very classy looking. I especially love the Berries and Cream lip gloss box because of the wax seal detail and the use of the Sea Nymphs. Click here to go to the on10 page on sephora.com and get your delish lip gloss made with natural and organic materials!

January FAN OF THE MONTH!

2007-12-21T15:27:00.000-06:00

Well, friends, I am about to leave for my holiday break and won't be back until the 2nd, so in the mean time I need you to send me your nominations for January's FAN OF THE MONTH! I will need to do it the day I get back, so just send me info about yourself or someone you know that LOVES Dr Pepper to collections@drpeppermuseum.com, and I will be in contact with the winner as soon as possible. Thanks and Happy Holidays to everyone!

~Mary Beth

Cherry Chocolate Rain

2007-12-20T14:04:00.000-06:00

Hilarious!

Have You Tried...

2007-12-17T11:44:00.000-06:00

Have you all tried the new Dr Pepper flavor out there? Diet Cherry Chocolate Dr Pepper. It came out at the end of November. They had such a great success with their other flavors--Cherry Vanilla and Berries & Cream--that they decided to try this one out. So far, we've heard that people either love or hate it. What do you think?

December FAN OF THE MONTH!!

2007-12-10T11:15:00.000-06:00

Hello Dr Pepper Fans! I apologize for not getting this up sooner, but this museum just won't slow down for me. I want to thank all the people who nominated themselves or someone they know who loves Dr Pepper. This month we got the most nominations we have ever gotten! If you were not picked, please do not be afraid to nominate again!! This month's FAN OF THE MONTH is Kim L. and this is what she says about her love of Dr Pepper:

After I started drinking Dr Pepper about 20 years ago, I was converted for life. Now, I tell
people my blood type is Dr Pepper. The night before I went to the museum for the 2nd time I
couldn't sleep at all. My favorite kind is Diet Cherry Vanilla, but I also like all other kinds
including Dublin. One time when I was away at college one of my friends left a Dr Pepper unattended and I finished it for him. I don't drink any other soft drink. My kitchen is decorated with antique Dr Pepper signs. I even saved one of the limited edition Diet Chocolate Cherry cans unopened for my can/bottle collection. When my husband and I moved into this apartment, we got to choose one accent wall color. I chose maroon to go with my Dr Pepper decor. Lately I've started collecting Dr Pepper t-shirts, and I own a sweatshirt hoodie jacket. That is why I'm a Pepper!

Thank you Kim for being such an amazing fan!

Christmas on the Brazos Museum Gala Event!

2007-11-30T22:28:00.000-06:00

Holiday Event!

2007-11-08T11:52:00.000-06:00

The Dr Pepper Museum's collaboration with the Historic Waco Foundation is coming up soon!
Check out the poster below if you are interested in attending.

The Museum would like to thank the very talented Bill Lewis for designing this poster for us! If you would like to contact Bill about his services, email him at welcrafteddesign@yahoo.com.

Don't forget to check out the Museum's amazing new website at www.drpepppermuseum.com!!

DPM 2.0

2007-11-02T15:23:00.000-05:00

Well folks, the NEW WEBSITE IS FINALLY HERE!!! We are all very excited, and have gotten such positive feedback so far. PLEASE go to www.drpeppermuseum.com right this instant and check it out!! Here is a screen shot glimpse that is sure to catch your eye:

This website was made possible by the very talented people at Imaginuity Interactive and was generously donated by Cadbury Schweppes America's Beverages. We definitely have the best friends in the world.

I also wanted to thank everyone who has told me how much they love the old website; I have really appreciated your support. Designing that website was a huge learning experience for me and has allowed me to learn how to do many of the cool things we now offer. Thanks so much everyone!

~Mary Beth

October and November FANS OF THE MONTH

2007-10-19T13:23:00.000-05:00

Well, I got a little sidetracked earlier this month and didn't get the FAN OF THE MONTH nomination request out very early. Ooops! Fortunately, I had some amazing fans write in and say that they would love to be this month's fans. Since it is already the middle of October and there are two of them, I decided it would be nice to make them the FANS OF THE MONTH for both October and November. Congrats to Tyler and Curtis!!

Here is a little info about Tyler:

For as long as I remember I always liked Dr Pepper. It wasn't until recently that I had discovered my true love for the drink. Now it is the only soda that I buy, I even pick certain restaurants to go to that serve Dr Pepper. Dr Pepper really plays a big part in my life, as soon as I wake up in the morning nothing gets me going better than a nice Dr Pepper. Not only has Dr Pepper helped quench my thirst but it has also brought me one of my best friends. My buddy Curtis and I were friends for several years, but once we found out that we both loved Dr Pepper we soon became best friends. In fact we are making the trip to the Dr Pepper museum all the way from Wisconsin. So remember the next time that you open a Dr Pepper not only will it give you the greatest taste in the world but it could change your life.

Here is a little bit about Curtis:

The first time I had Dr Pepper it was like a light went off in my head, the taste was new to me and yet it was familiar. Needless to say I was hooked, and now I find myself drinking Dr Pepper on a daily basis. As my buddy Tyler said as soon as we both knew that we liked Dr Pepper or D P as we call it we became best friends. We tend to stay up late drinking D P until the sun comes up. In closing my love for Dr Pepper will never diminish and I hope one day to pass my love of D P onto my children.

Thanks Tyler and Curtis for being amazing fans!! Be sure to check back for their road trip diary chronicling their trek to Waco to visit the Museum!

New Website!!!!

2007-10-19T10:47:00.000-05:00

Dear Internet Friends:

After much anticipation, The Dr Pepper Museum is proud to announce that our new website will be premiering in the next few weeks. A lot of work has gone into making this a website that you, our internet friends, will easily be able to use as well as interact with the Museum staff and other Dr Pepper enthusiasts in a whole new way. We hope you will check back often to see if the site has launched, and once it does we are sure you are all going to love our new look.

As with all new things, there may be some glitches and problems that need fixing when the site is first introduced. We are preparing for this possibility and are going to fix any problems right away. If for some reason you do experience some problems while using the new site, please be patient with us, and feel free to call 254.757.1025 and ask for one of the following staff members to get assistance with your issue:

For Gift Shop related issues: Connie Finch
For Tour issues: Brian Henson
For Rental issues: Sam Torres
For Collection and general website issues: Mary Beth Webster

We are anticipating that the switch will be smooth and successful, and we welcome your feedback on the new site. Please email us at pr@drpeppermuseum.com with any general questions, comments, or suggestions. Thank you for all of your support for our current website, and your patience as we continually improve our online presence.

Sincerely,
The Dr Pepper Museum Staff

State Fair of Texas!!

2007-10-05T13:35:00.000-05:00

Attention those interested in visiting the State Fair of Texas this year! I am proud to announce that for the second year in a row the Dr Pepper Museum is prominently featured in the Food and Fiber Pavilion at the State Fair of Texas!!! On Monday the 24th we went to Dallas to install the exhibit that Cadbury provides us with. It is such a nice exhibit, and we are so lucky to be right inside the door to the right!!! The exhibit features a time line of Dr Pepper history with many fun artifacts. Things are not the same as last year, so make sure you go see it even if you went last year, too! This year there is even a flat panel TV showing Dr Pepper commercials. To find out more about the State Fair of Texas, including appearances and directions, click HERE! Here are some fun pictures of the exhibit and what is in store for this year's visitors!

The other major thing that is happening here at the Museum is that we are finally ready to start unloading the new Cadbury collection! Yesterday everyone chipped in and we finished putting up the shelving in the biggest room, so we are ready to go! Yay for progress!!!

The other thing that I know you all are anxiously awaiting is the premiere of the new website. I am too!! As with most things, there have been a few snags in the very last steps, but I am confident we will have an amazing new site very, very soon. Keep checking back; it could be any day now!

Finally, it is WAY past due for the October FAN OF THE MONTH!!!!!! Please send your nominations to collections@drpeppermuseum.com and I will choose a worthy DP fan.

The Space Savers are HERE!!!!

2007-09-07T14:17:00.000-05:00

As many of you know, we LOVE LOVE LOVE shelving, boxes, and organizing materials in general here at the DPM, and last week we got the ultimate shelving unit installed in Collections 1, or the room where my office is. They are a part of the huge Cadbury Collection we are getting from Corporate, and they fit PERFECTLY into the room. Obviously they were made to fit, and now that they are installed we are in shelving unit heaven. Well, maybe just I am. My two part time workers, Paige and Jen, have been wiping them down the last two days while I have been out of town and doing many many office things, respectively. But the truly are amazing, and a huge asset to the collection. Yay!

So, the other major project I have been working on is our NEW WEBSITE!!!! VERY exciting, as we approved the final thing yesterday. It won't launch until sometime in the next few weeks, which I know is not very specific, but I don't want it to be delayed and people get upset, so I am choosing to be vague. Anyway, it is a really beautiful site and I think you all are going to enjoy using it. I will be sure to post all about it when it launches!!!

Millionth Visitor Video Blog!!

2007-08-22T14:17:00.000-05:00

1 Millionth Visitor Press Conference

2007-08-10T13:31:00.000-05:00

Today was a very important day here at the Dr Pepper Museum! In anticipation of the arrival of our 1 millionth visitor, we held a press conference for local news media and had a great turn out! See the pics below for fun details, and if you are a Waco local, make sure to watch the news tonight!

Waco Tribune-Herald Video!

2007-08-07T15:11:00.000-05:00

Click the link below to see Jessica Harris give a guided tour of the Museum to Trib reporter Erin Quinn!

In Like Quinn

August FAN OF THE MONTH!

2007-08-07T09:16:00.000-05:00

Congratulations to our August FAN OF THE MONTH DeAnn H.!! Here is what DeAnn has to say about her history with Dr Pepper:

"I am 29 years old and first started drinking Dr. Pepper in about the 6th grade. I was away at camp when I discovered that Dr. Pepper was the best drink EVER! Very recently, for the first time, I had a Dr. Pepper made with real sugar. It was absolute bliss. Unfortunately, they are hard to find in my part of Texas but I'm always on the lookout!

I recommend enjoying Dr. Pepper ice cold. I love to put a bottle in the freezer and let it get so cold that when you take it out and remove the lid the top layer turns frosty : delicious! If you are feeling adventurous, add a twist of lime, I think you will be pleasantly surprised.

I am now passing my love of Dr. Pepper on to my daughter who enjoys it almost as much as me!"

Thanks DeAnn for your love of Dr Pepper!!

6th Video Blog is HERE!!

2007-08-02T11:25:00.000-05:00

August FAN OF THE MONTH Nominees?!?!

2007-08-02T10:29:00.000-05:00

Well, because things have been crazy around here, I am just now, on the 2nd of the month, getting around to trying to find an August FAN OF THE MONTH. If YOU want to be our August FAN OF THE MONTH, or you know someone who deserves to be the FAN OF THE MONTH, email me at collections@drpeppermuseum.com. Martin Z. was our July FAN OF THE MONTH, and his devotion is certainly going to be hard to live up to! Anybody who thinks they are up to the challenge, shoot me an email and let me know!

1 Millionth Visitor!!! The Time is Drawing Near!

2007-08-02T10:15:00.000-05:00

OK, people here is the deal. The Museum staff are SO excited because in about a month our 1 MILLIONTH VISITOR will walk through the doors. This is a huge deal for us because we are a small operation here at the DPM, yet people from all over the world continue to hunt us down in order to learn more about Dr Pepper. We would like to recognize all of the locals, tourists, school groups, reluctant teens who were dragged here by their parents, and everyone else who has made this milestone possible. We are about to pass the 996,000 mark either today or tomorrow, and the lookout will begin for our 1 millionth visitor. We encourage all of you, our loyal fans, to come to the Museum and help us reach the 1 million mark. Who knows, maybe YOU will be the 1 millionth visitor!!

A few sneak peeks at the perks of being the 1 millionth visitor:

~gift certificates
~t-shirts
~Dr Pepper (just maybe!)

And so much more... You will just have to find out for yourself when YOU become our 1 millionth visitor!

Our MySpace Friends are the BEST

2007-07-10T09:40:00.000-05:00

Below are two pictures taken by our very talented MySpace friend Ali from San Angelo, TX. She took them as part of her photography class, and we all think they are fantastic. Thanks Ali for the great work!

JULY FAN OF THE MONTH!

2007-06-27T11:44:00.000-05:00

Hello Dr Pepper Museum blog friends! The time has come to announce our first ever FAN OF THE MONTH! Our first fan is Martin Z. and he is receiving this honor because he was kind enough to come to the Museum and see us! He was in Texas for Dublin's birthday celebration, and made a special trip down to Waco to see his internet friends! We asked him to tell us a little about himself and why he loves Dr Pepper...

"I have never known life without Dr Pepper. My father enjoyed Dr Pepper immensely so I grew up with it in our household. Throughout my years of trying various soft drinks and attempts at mimicking the king of beverages, Dr Pepper has remained my favorite soft drink.

I began collecting Dr Pepper items in high school. As friends and family became acquainted with my increasing joy and enthusiasm for Dr Pepper I began to receive various collectibles throughout the year. My collection has steadily grown from cups and bottles to grocery store marketing items, t-shirts, hats, bottle trays, picnic baskets, blankets, a neon sign and other tin signs. The Dr Pepper Museum in Waco has also provided access to many other items that fit my personality.

So what does Dr Pepper mean to me? Here's a story that should illustrate my love for the best soft drink on the planet! A decade ago I began my higher education at a university in Southern California. Though university meal plans were not very spectacular the cafeteria provided many different soft drinks for us. Dr Pepper was one of them. Heaven! During the summer of 1995 the catering company decided to switch vendors. We returned from a glorious summer only to find that Dr Pepper had been removed, replaced by a competing vendor that will not be named. Nooooo! This could not be! Could I switch schools? No, too drastic! Motivated by this sad turn of events, some fellow Dr Pepper fans and I began a petition campaign to encourage the catering company to seek a special exemption for Dr Pepper. We continually left voice messages, cafeteria notes, and other items to illustrate the loss that we felt. Above and beyond this I gathered together some good friends who loved Dr Pepper and we began the groundwork to form the Biola Society of Dr Pepper Drinkers, commonly known as the Dr Pepper Club. With over 100 people "signed up" for the club we provided additional leverage to bring our friend back to college with us. Our efforts succeeded! On September 26, 1995 at approximately 2pm in the afternoon, the catering company installed Dr Pepper in the soft drink fountain! As fate would have it, later that evening we held our first official meeting of the Dr Pepper Club. It was a magnificent occasion and we celebrated with a toast to Dr Pepper! Go team!

My love for Dr Pepper has not diminished. I bring my enthusiasm for Dr Pepper wherever I go and wherever I work. I encourage fellow Dr Pepper drinkers and look for opportunities to introduce others to the joy that is Dr Pepper."

Thank you Martin for your support of Dr Pepper and the Dr Pepper Museum!!

3 New Things to Watch For!!!!!

2007-06-12T12:01:00.000-05:00

Hello Dr Pepper Museum blog fans! Here are three new events/items for you to partake in in the coming months!! To contact us about any of these things, please email us at collections@drpeppermuseum.com!!

#1 Fourth of July Military Appreciation Day!

On July 4, 2007 all visitors who show a valid military ID will receive free admission to the museum! Please also remember to purchase a Victory Float in the soda fountain in our souvenir cups featuring toy army men and green straws! The week of July 2-6 is also the last week to see the Dr Pepper and the Military exhibit! Soft Drink Sweethearts will be making its debut the very next week, so don't miss out on a chance to learn all about Dr Pepper's long relationship with America's armed forces.

And remember... The Dr Pepper Museum is open from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm Monday through Saturday and 12:00 pm to 5:00 pm on Sundays. THE LAST TICKET TO THE MUSEUM GALLERY IS SOLD AT 4:15 ON ALL DAYS. The gift shop and the soda fountain are open until 5:00.

#2 The Arrival of our 1 Millionth Visitor is Fast Approaching!

August/September is when we expect our 1 millionth visitor to walk through the door, and a celebration is in order! The 1 millionth visitor will receive a life membership to the Museum, Dr Pepper/Cadbury product, gift cards to both the soda fountain and gift shop, flowers, and will be featured in press releases sent out to both local and major publications. Their picture will be proudly displayed in the Museum, and there will be fanfare in general. We look forward to this momentous occasion, and the sooner we get there the sooner we can celebrate and start working on the next million. Please visit our website to plan your trip to the Dr Pepper Museum!

#3 FAN OF THE MONTH!!!

We are adding a new feature called FAN OF THE MONTH where YOU tell us why you should be the the Dr Pepper Museum FAN OF THE MONTH!!! Each FAN OF THE MONTH will get their own blog post where they get to write in about why they like Dr Pepper and the Dr Pepper Museum! We will also ask that you send in a picture for the blog and for us to put up in the Museum! We will be drawing mainly from our online fan base, but will also go through the guest registers that you sign when you come in the Museum. Would you like to be our next FAN OF THE MONTH?!?!? Email us at collections@drpeppermuseum.com and let us know!!

New Things are Happening

2007-06-07T16:22:00.000-05:00

Craziness has erupted here at the DPM! We are in the middle of moving our collection into a new storage facility, and anyone who has been in the middle of a move before KNOWS how crazy it is! To see a tour of the new facility, press PLAY below. We also did a new podcast, so make sure you check that out to find out all about the move, cell phone tours, and a few featured items.

CELL PHONE TOURS ARE HERE!! Please try them out when you come to the Museum. They are FREE!! Also, don't forget that you can download the tour to your MP3 player before you come!! If you can't come to the Museum but you still want to learn a bunch of fun stuff about Dr Pepper, make sure you check out the podcast.

FUN INTERACTIVE!!

As some of you may know, but most probably do not, we send out occasional gift shop email newsletters that contain new items plus good discounts. They are the BEST way to find out about new merchandise here at the Dr Pepper Museum Gift Shop!! If you would like to be on the mailing list for the gift shop email newsletters, please let me know by emailing collections@drpeppermuseum.com from a valid email address with SUBSCRIBE in the subject line. We are about to do a new one, so don't be left out! Email us today!

Diet Coke You are Insulting My Intelligence

2007-05-23T09:08:00.000-05:00

nataliedee.com

New Vlog!!!

2007-05-18T16:39:00.000-05:00

New Podcast!!

2007-05-15T17:42:00.000-05:00

Did you know you can create your own soft drink here at the museum? If you didn't, listen to our podcast and find out how to do it. Come on people, get involved. It's fun!!!

Cartel IS Band in the Bubble

2007-05-09T10:44:00.000-05:00

Here are some promotional pictures of Cartel, who will become the Dr Pepper Band in the Bubble on May 24th. On June 12th the bubble will literally burst and they will debut their newest album which will have been written entirely in the bubble. All of it is going down in Times Square, NY. Check em out!

All information provided by Dr Pepper and M80.

Press Rlease for Band in a Bubble

2007-05-08T15:11:00.000-05:00

PLANO, Texas and NEW YORK – April 23, 2007 – Dr Pepper, MTV, and Epic recording artist Cartel are giving music fans more of what they want this summer…a first-time, real-time look into the making of the band's newest album during Dr Pepper Band in a Bubble. In what is sure to be the most talked-about music event of the year, Cartel will be sealed inside a huge transparent bubble on Hudson River Park's Pier 54 in New York City from May 24 through June 12, and every move they make will be live for the world to see as they eat, breathe, sleep and record the follow-up to their breakthrough debut album, CHROMA .

Dr Pepper Band in a Bubble, produced by Mediaedge:cia and True Entertainment, an Endemol company, is an interactive multimedia event that will bring new meaning to “up close and personal.” Cartel will enter the bubble during a live MTV broadcast on May 24 and stay there with no escape until the bubble “bursts” on June 12. While the band is in the bubble, the drama and excitement of Cartel's recording process can be viewed in-person, on-air and online.
Dr Pepper Band in a Bubble Web cams will stream live on www.drpepperbubble.com and the event will air as a music special with four 30-minute episodes on MTV, which will also be available on-demand at MTV.com.

“Dr Pepper Band in a Bubble is an authentic mix of music and pop culture that only Dr Pepper can deliver. There's always more to Dr Pepper and only Dr Pepper will give consumers exclusive access to life in the bubble,” said Andrew Springate, vice president of marketing,
Dr Pepper. “We're going to have cameras capturing every moment, from every angle, so the fans can watch it live as it happens. This is going to be a unique experience for the band and their fans and the biggest event of its kind.”

"This special event, Band in a Bubble presented by Dr Pepper , will be a fascinating and intimate forum for our viewers to witness the process of creating music first-hand from one of today's most promising bands, Cartel,” said Tim Rosta, senior vice president, integrated marketing, MTV. “These unique music specials are yet another great example of MTV's ongoing commitment to deliver compelling and engaging content alongside our advertising partners to present the music and artists that our audience loves in innovative ways on-air and online."

Cartel: The Band in the Bubble

Cartel will literally be THE Band in the Bubble. The five-member group, consisting of singer and keyboard player Will Pugh, guitarists Joseph Pepper and Nic Hudson, bass player Jeff Lett, and drummer Kevin Sanders, will share the ups and downs of the creative process with their fans – giving them an inside look at what it's like to make an album from start to finish. The band's new album will be available on July 24 – just six weeks after the bubble bursts.

“We're doing something that's never been done before and that's exciting,” said Cartel frontman Will Pugh. “Making an album is a very personal and emotional experience, and in the past we've never wanted anyone around when writing or recording. But given that this is probably the biggest opportunity we'll ever have to show the world what we're made of, we can't wait to invite the fans into both the studio and our lives.”

Atlanta-based Cartel, recently highlighted as a “Breaking Band” in Rolling Stone , is generating major heat thanks to the success of Epic Records debut CHROMA and hit lead single “Honestly.” While the song garnered airplay on radio stations nationwide, its companion video went into rotation on MTV, MTV2 and Fuse. In addition, the group – dubbed “A Band You Need To Know” by Alternative Press – has blanketed the Internet, winning Yahoo! Music's “Who's Next” competition, nabbing the AOL Music Breaker Spotlight and racking up millions of streams on MySpace. In addition, Cartel performed on TRL, was highlighted on MTV's “Discover & Download,” spent the summer on the Warped Tour, made their national TV debut on “Jimmy Kimmel Live” and appear on the soundtrack to the mega-popular video game, “Madden NFL ‘07.” The band will appear on an upcoming episode of MTV's “Cribs,” and just concluded their first-ever headlining tour.

"Cartel has always maintained a special relationship with their fans and this is an opportunity for the band to tear down that final barrier and literally allow their audience a window into the creative process. I admire their courage to do so,” said Doug McVehil, vice president, digital media marketing and promotion, Epic Records. "We're excited to team with such creative partners on what's sure to be a truly unique and memorable music experience."

Bringing More to the Consumer

Dr Pepper Band in a Bubble is a multi-platform initiative that reaches consumers nationwide through online and offline channels including television, online, radio, in-store and on select Dr Pepper products. Purchasing Dr Pepper gives fans deeper access to Band in a Bubble, including opportunities to interact with the band, obtain exclusive views inside the Bubble and to download free Cartel ringtones and wallpaper.

Dr Pepper is also offering a sweepstakes for a chance to win a variety of prizes, including guitars signed by Cartel and VIP trips to New York to see Cartel's concert when the bubble “bursts” on June 12. The event will officially kick-off Hudson River Park 's RiverRocks summer concert series and will be free and open to the public. Dr Pepper Band in a Bubble will live online at www.drpepperbubble.com , allowing Dr Pepper consumers to view unique content for up to 23 continuous days, including the 20 days while the band is in the bubble, and three days of special wrap-ups and outtakes.

Taking the Bubble to Television

Throughout Cartel's days in the bubble, MTV will capture the most interesting and outrageous moments. The show, Band in a Bubble presented by Dr Pepper , will air during four 30-minute music specials on MTV and MTV2 in May and June. The first show will air at 11 p.m. EDT on May 24 as Cartel prepares for and enters the bubble. The final episode will highlight the band's days in the bubble and culminate with coverage of the bubble “burst” concert. Footage from the bubble will also be available online at MTV.com, where viewers will be able to check out additional content and episodes on-demand.

Building the Bubble

Currently being constructed on Hudson River Park 's Pier 54 in New York City , the bubble is a 40-by-40 foot state-of-the-art recording studio equipped with everything Cartel needs to record their next album. Designed by international firm TPG Architecture, the 2,000-square-foot structure will consist of 55,000 pounds of steel truss and quarter-inch-thick fireproof rigid fiber glass. Three semi-circular steel arches will loop the bubble and act as light trusses to provide a glowing effect. While in the bubble, Cartel will have access to a custom kitchen and dining room, a casual lounge area and a spa-like bathroom as well as a “Sleeping Bubble,” or mezzanine level, which will be a giant pod elevated nine feet off the ground and hung in place with airplane hanger cables, that will house the band's sleeping quarters.

The bubble will feature interactive Web cams that will stream every moment live so fans can watch on www.drpepperbubble.com. These cameras will capture everything from the band members' waking moments and creative differences to their jam sessions and appearances by special guests. Special two-way microphones built into the window of the bubble will provide opportunities for the public to speak to band members on a daily basis.

Update on Collections Move

2007-05-03T10:29:00.000-05:00

So here at the DPM we are on hold because of construction delays, which means that we have yet to start moving the collections to the new building. We really like our contractor and understand his situation, so Jessica and I have been busying ourselves by putting together our new office furniture. We LOVE putting together stuff because we love directions and other organizationally-oriented things, so it was fun. There were three desks and two rolling filing cabinets that needed to be assembled. Our new office will be in the biggest of the three collections rooms, so here are some pics of us with the final product!