A beverage company has apologised after a gag printing 'help me' on the inside of bottle caps, has been slammed by people saying it makes light of slavery. SoBe Lifewater boasts that it's got 0 calories and 100% flavour - but online commenters have also ruled that they've got zero taste when it comes to making the jokes.
The caps reading: ""Help me. Trapped in SoBe factory" have been shared on social networks like Twitter and Facebook with some people genuinely concerned that someone was being maltreated. When asked about the messages, SoBe explained, "Hi there, we're sorry that our cap slogan caused you concern, that was certainly not our intention. "These sayings are intended to give our consumers a little smile or pause for thought, not offense, while they enjoy their favorite SoBe beverage. "We are planning on removing this cap slogan from our current rotation, however, it will take a while for existing stock to run through the market."
SoBe (stylized as SoBE) is a brand of teas, fruit-juice blends (smoothie) and enhanced water beverages owned by PepsiCo. The name SoBe is an abbreviation of South Beach, named after the upscale area located in Miami Beach, Florida. In the past, the SoBe name has also been licensed for gum and chocolate products.
SoBe switched from glass bottles to plastic bottles for all of its beverages. SoBe began as the South Beach Beverage Company, a drink manufacturer based in Norwalk Connecticut from 1996-2001. Their first product was SoBe Black Tea 3G. It proved popular and led to the introduction of other flavors. The company was bought by PepsiCo in October 2000. It was co-founded by John Bello and Tom Schwalm back in 1995. Though having a negative reaction to their campaign ad involving the "help me" messages in their drinks, SoBe continues to attract costumers with their drinks.
