No Girls Allowed: Dr Pepper Launches ‘Manly’ Diet Soda

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We blame this idea on the rise of men’s skinny jeans.

In an effort to claim some new territory in the diet soda market, Dr Pepper has launched a new sugary sweet diet drink called Dr Pepper Ten. With only 10 calories per can, one would assume that this soda would be marketed to weight-conscious women everywhere. Think again.

(More on TIME.com: See the top 10 bad beverage ideas)

The soft drink’s slogan proclaims that it’s “not for women,” and the commercial that has hit selected test markets (and the Internet, see above) attempts to appeal to the manliest of men by recreating a scene straight out of Rambo.

By testing this rugged drink in middle-aged, middle-income men in middle America, Dr Pepper is hoping that their soda’s “bold” flavor will crush the competitors that have come before them. Pepsi Max, Diet Mountain Dew, Diet Coke and Diet 7-Up have all attempted to market their diet beverages toward men in the past with little success.

(More on NewsFeed: Is Pepsi trying to sell women with its new skinny can?)

While NewsFeed isn’t sold on these marketing tactics (are those laser beams being shot in the jungle?), we can understand why Dr Pepper wants to tackle the men’s market. Most diet drinks seem so girly that some men wouldn’t be caught sipping them in public. Plus, now that health officials have determined that soda can be blamed for obesity, diabetes and other negative health effects, men have to find a way to cut the calories in order to fit into their ex-girlfriend-style skinnies. (via Advertising Age)

(More on TIME.com: Diet soda can lead to stroke. Really?)