Dr Pepper’s turn-of-the-century ‘What’s the worst that could happen?’ ads were great. Brilliantly embarrassing situations and a still-memorable jingle (it’s in your head right now, isn’t it?) set the tone for well over a decade.

Now the brand is moving on. Three new ads interestingly establish Dr Pepper as a character – he’s a white-coated medic with a Dr Pepper Zerooo can for a head. To save them from boredom, he gives the viewer/patient something weird to watch – like a bird playing the guitar, or footage of a couple riding tiny bicycles – before we cut back to something else strange, like Dr P doing the ironing in his pants.

The self-conscious quirkiness feels a bit forced – what is ‘weird’, exactly? – but the brand is wise to preserve its sense of anarchy and mystery.

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