Pepsi set to be blacklisted for sponsorship of India-NZ series

Pepsi is all set to be blacklisted by the BCCI for the sponsorship of the India-New Zealand series to be held later this year. According to a report in The Economic Times, the BCCI has become worried at the recent controversy over Pepsi and Coke selling contaminated drinks in India, and intends to wash their hands off the two companies if the implications are proved correct.

According to the report, Pepsi was all set to be the official sponsor of the tour, with the sponsorship amount fixed at between Rs 14 to 16 crore (just over US$3 million). But the negative publicity that could result if Pepsi was found guilty has clearly given the BCCI second thoughts on the matter - especially given that finding an alternate sponsor for a home Test series will hardly be difficult.

Doordarshan (DD), who will be broadcasting the series, has already formalised deals with Pepsi, Hero Hondo and HLL. Pepsi is reported to have bought airtime worth Rs 4 crore for the event. However, DD is also worried by the charges against Coke. An official DD spokesperson told The Economic Times: "Pepsi will be ousted if the government finds [the] allegations to be true."

Both Pepsi and Coke plan their advertising around the cricket season, and were expected to launch new advertising campaigns around the middle of August. But the controversy has knocked all the fizz out of their plans, as they scramble desperately to retain credibility.