After writing about the kerfuffle last week, it ocurred to me that if Pepsi had simply created a female version of the app, it could have saved itself a world of hurt AND garnered the attention and love from female customers.

Giving women the same opportunity to categorize men and revel in pick-up lines would have meant wild viral downloading among girlfriends, and friendly, entertaining comparisons with the male version.

As I wrote before, the technology used to create the app was outstanding.  Pepsi just didn’t think the marketing through all the way to the end, and got caught in the trap of linear thinking.

A potentially awesome marketing campaign, kicked to the curb before Pepsi could score.

Lots of folks are pretty peeved, evidenced by the comments on YouTube and Twitter. And therein lies the beauty of “controversy branding.”  Pepsi’s milquetoast apology a few days ago seems to be its way of saying, “Sorry, suckers – the app is a HUGE hit and getting a lot of attention.  If you think we’re gonna pull it down, you’re crazy.”

A confession: I downloaded Before You Score.  And while I consider it to be on par with the fart machine app, I have to say that the creators did an impressive job with cross-referencing technologies.  If Pepsi was smart, they’d use this expertise to create a kick-ass app that boasts some value power for its female customers.

What do you think of the Before You Score controversy?  It seems to have rung the “get attention” bell for Pepsi.  In the long run, will it be worth it for the company?  Did the company achieve the balance of controversy vs. short-term memory of the consumer?