January FAN OF THE MONTH!

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

Hilarious!

Have You Tried...

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!!

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!

Holiday Event!

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

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

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!!!!

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!!

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!!!!

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!!

1 Millionth Visitor Press Conference

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!

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!

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!!

August FAN OF THE MONTH Nominees?!?!

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!

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

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!

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!!!!!

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

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

nataliedee.com

New Vlog!!!

New Podcast!!

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

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

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

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!