DR PEPPER MUSEUM OPENS "THE SKINNY ON DIET DRINKS"

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

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!

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

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

April FAN OF THE MONTH!!

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!!!

10-2-4 Club Madness and TAM 2008

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

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!

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!