The Dr Pepper Museum Makes the World Taste Better!: May 2007

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.