Pepsi Caused a Riot That Killed 5 People

In 1992, Pepsi Philippines launched a popular promotional campaign called Number Fever, in which bottle caps carried random three‑digit numbers—announced nightly on TV—with winnings ranging from ₱100 to a grand prize of ₱1 million. But on May 25, the winning number 349 was mistakenly printed on between 600,000 and 800,000 caps instead of just two, triggering a frenzy when the announcement aired and thousands presented winning caps at Pepsi plants expecting life‑changing payouts . Pepsi offered a goodwill payment of ₱500 (~US $18) to cap holders, which nearly 486,000 accepted, but many refused—sparking protests.