Foutain Battle

Location: Skidmore Fountain
Portland Saturday Market, Portland OR
Time: Saturday Morning

I happened upon some promotional shenanigans this morning - quite bizarre really - a fountain full of soda pop.

Actually let me back up - because first there was a strange experience...
Unloading my booth from storage I always pass some unique homeless people that are up early with all their stuff and usually really grumpy... this morning there was one skinny old man with a backpack on carrying his entire life and bed - and he was happily drinking a Sierra Mist, looked like he had had two - and he had an entire case at his feet. I thought to myself - who gave this man a case of Sierra Mist first thing in the morning? And why? How strange.


Then as I was pushing a cart full of my stuff to my spot, I could tell there was something going on around or in the big fountain. There seemed to be more shenanigans as usual, especially for this early in the morning. After ditching my booth I walked over there and took some pictures - I always bring a camera with me to the Portland Saturday Market, because it seems there is always something strange or wonderful to take a picture of.

The story is this: Sierra Mist is doing a promotional campaign some sort of deal where they fill fountains accross the country with ice and this new Sierra Mist that is entirely chemical and no real sugar at all - zero calorie kinda thing. Then they take video of people around it and I think they are making a documentary or marketing video of some kind.

There was a green sign that said "Fountain Battle:choose a fun clear zero-calorie beverage that makes fountains more useful"

I found it strange - and personally - I say just drink water.

But regardless - I enjoyed the strangness of it all - and they seemed to put a lot of work into this project.