"The Pepsi Challenged"
- November 25
Well, I was sort of wondering how they were going to cut
episodes now - and now I know. Jennifer doesn't think
that Wes would be coming back - and she's half right.
Andy comes back to tell them the news - that Maria has
left with Wes. Jen is shocked and Kelly is rubbing his
face with his hands. Andy explains the story as they all
realize that it's the final 6.
As Ivana says, 'It's time to break from the pack at this
point.' and Kevin says that Mr. Trump is going for
leaders. With that being said, everyone is jockeying for
the project manager position. Ivana wants to have the
shot for Apex, but after Jennifer, Kelly and Kevin also
want it, they decide to draw lots. The strategy is
simple, in the words of Kelly - if they win, then the
leader gets to go to the final four. They draw lots,
and...Kelly is the project manager. Kelly asks if it's
ok. The group complies and they all share huggy time.
Ivana is far from ok with it. She decides that Jen has
been the thorn in her side. She goes back to last
episode, when Jen stole her idea, and she wants to be
separated from her. She, Kelly and Kevin all talk - and
agree that if they get to send someone over, it will be
Jen. Ivana thinks that Jen has an advantage because of
her ass....ets, and Kelly has had problems working with
her as well. Jen meanwhile, hears them talking about
her, and since she isn't being involved in the
conversation, she assumes that what's they are talking
about isn't good.
She'll find out about it first hand as they all meet at
Trump Place - Trump's new property on the West Side.
When they get there, Kelly sees that he has to deal with
another thorn in his side - Andy, who's now the project
manager of Mosaic. Trump tells them all that they will
be creating a new bottle and marketing campaign for
Pepsi Edge, and the team with the best idea, according
to Dave Berwin (Marketing Manager for Pepsi) wins.
Trump tells Apex (who are up 4-2 over Mosaic) to get rid
of a member - and they are quick to decide that Jen will
be going over. Donald asks why, and he is told that they
wanted to keep the strongest three together. Well, that
has to hurt Jen, as she goes over to Andy and Sandy.
Ivana describes the mood when Jen left - 'My back felt
lighter because I wasn't carrying this blonde Barbie
anymore.' Ouch. The blonde Barbies talk while Jen would
like nothing better than to stick Apex with a loss.
Trump's message - 'Form Your Own Opinion'. You
should always listen to the team - but always form your
own opinion, because the leader who wants to be loved
will eventually not make it. We'll see who that falls
under later, but right now, everyone is happy.
Eventually, someone won't be.
Mosaic brainstorms on taking the tag line - 'The best of
both worlds' and decides to build on it. They have the
idea on creating games on 'World-based' themes, and they
create a country matching game - each cap has a
different country. If you collect all of the countries,
you get to travel to that continent. Andy was enjoying
the idea - perhaps a little too much, as both women were
annoyed at his over-hyperness. He continues to drink the
Pepsi, which would probably explain the caffeine
overload. He continues to spiel and the women are
staring at him.
Kevin is staring at Ivana, as she talks about shaping
the bottle like a form of the Oscars. As the returning
George looks on, Kelly has the idea of creating the
'EDGE' words as the shape of a hole - which would be
good for holding movie tickets, or putting promotional
prizes in the hole. Ivana suggests a hot dog - or a
boob. Wha? Kelly says that Ivana may be going over the
deep end in terms of selling sex - and he may be
wondering if he sent the wrong woman over. They go with
the 'EDGE' idea and go forward with the designing.
Back to Mosaic, as Sandy wants to have the bottle shaped
like a globe. That won't work, because you wouldn't be
able to hold it, but Jen has a better idea by sticking
the globe on the top and bottom while making the middle
section grabable. That upsets Sandy, who doesn't think
that she is being utilized.
Off to designing the bottle. The designers don't like
Kelly's idea, but he insists on doing it his way and the
designers go on ahead. Ivana was concerned that because
they did everything so quickly that they may have
overlooked something, adding that if Kelly's military
style (since we was in the military) doesn't work, this
can bite him in the butt, but no one can think of
anything else that needs to be done, so they head on
back home.
On Mosaic's side, Carolyn watches as the design teams
works on it. Andy thinks that they are moving slow, so
he suggests to use the incentive of adding $100 bonuses
- if they go faster. Sandy detests the approach, calling
is a 'Used Car Salesman' technique. If she hated that,
then she's really going to hate this - pizzas show up -
and Andy doesn't allow the pizzas into the room until
the designers are finished. Wha? 'If you relax on this
design team, then they will not meet these deadlines.'
The guys complain that they can smell the pizza, but
Andy reminds them that they are all $100 richer. Sandy
calls him a slavedriver, and I really have to wonder if
Andy is actually more militaristic than Kelly.
The next morning, both teams show up to see their new
bottles. Apex loves the hole idea and Kevin adds that
Kelly's idea looks like a winner. Andy swears to beat
Kelly, adding that the win means everything to him.
While they work on their campaign, everyone in Apex
recites in their mind what they are going to say - and
they sound like crazy people, which is fine, as long as
they don't sound like it...
...at the presentation, which looks like an
amphitheater. 'It feels like we were walking into the
stadium in Gladiator' says Ivana, as the place help over
100 people. Kelly leads off Apex's presentation, saying
that they put the box into Pepsi's edge. Ivana talks
about the promotional uses of the box, while Kevin (who
isn't sweating profusely) talks about all of the
incentives - and the mystery of checking what's in the
box. They seemed to be very smooth and Apex was excited
about it.
It's now Mosaic's turn. Andy talks - and he's sounding
more like talking into a debate than trying to pitch a
product. He is rambling on as the marketers are staring
quizzically at the bottle. They are also staring
quizzically at Sandy, who butchers her speech as she
effectively loses everyone. Jen and Andy try, but they
not only have the weaker idea, they also have the weaker
presentation.
In deliberations, the group says that the global bottle
was ugly, adding that they were wondering when the last
time geography was cool. They think that the 'EDGE'
bottle was cool, and properly represents the product.
They call Donald and says that in terms of creativity
and following the product idea, Apex wins! As a reward,
they go via helicopter to the Poconos Racetrack and race
lamborginis. Apex rejoices while Andy says a word that
has to be bleeped out. That pretty much explains it all.
WHile Apex is racing around the track, the minds of
Andy, Sandy and Jen are racing as well as they try to
figure out who to target. When Apex comes back, Ivana
tells Andy that Jen is very good in the Boardroom, but
Donald wants to get rid of Jen. Andy doesn't agree with
her, as he conspires with Jen to get rid of Sandy. They
talk about them both teaming up gainst Sandy - and Jen
agrees. Sandy asks Jen how Andy did as a leader, and Jen
says that he did fine. Sandy then talks about Andy's
immaturity, him handing out money and him withholding
the pizza, and that may get Jen thinking in the other
direction...
We'll see where she goes in the Board Room, where Donald
asks who came up with the concept. Andy said that he did
- and he liked the idea. George despises the bottle,
saying that you can't fit it in the car, while Donald
says that it could be a good barbell. Heh. George says
that promoting the bottle is the key. Sandy said that
Jen was in charge of the bottle while she was in charge
of creating the idea.
Andy is asked who was the least creative member, and
Andy says Sandy, which stuns her, because she came up
with the game idea. They go after each other, with Andy
saying that Sandy took ideas that Andy and Jen created.
He also says that Jen is smarter and Sandy was easier to
manage. Sandy talks about the money and the pizza
episode. Andy tries to get out of it, but Carolyn forces
him to admit that he did use cash incentives to get the
group to work better.
Jen is asked how Andy did. She says that Andy is
inexperienced, but is enthusiastic, adding that he has
energy. Carolyn says that it is a safe answer, but Jen
says that it isn't a safe answer because it's the truth.
Donald asks her how Andy did and she said solid, adding
that she can't say excellent because they lost the task.
She said that Sandy did an ok job - but not as good as
Andy.
Donald talks about how everyone likes each other - until
they lose. Andy and Sandy go after each other again.
Donald asks Andy what Sandy did do, and he said that she
did the label. Donald decides that all three of them
will come back as they deliberate on who should be
leaving.
During deliberations, George liked the way that Sandy
defended herself, adding that Andy wasn't strong.
Carolyn wonders why every project manager defends Jen.
Andy and Sandy are still arguing outside when Donald
calls them back in. Donald asks why Jen is sliding by.
Jen asks if that means that she hasn't been brought by a
project manager into the board room. When Donald says
yes, she replies that it's because she's never lost as a
project manager, and she does a great job when working
under any other project manager. Andy agrees with that,
and Donald seems to be impressed. Bonus points for Jen.
Sandy is asked who did the worst job, and she says Jen -
because she is under the radar. Touche'
Jen and Sandy are now getting into it in terms of who
did what. When Sandy says that the bottle was why they
lost, Jennifer says that she and Andy were talking
earlier on that day. That sets Sandy off, and she goes
after both of them for conspiring against her. They both
deny it, saying that Ivana came over to them, but Sandy
wants none of that and she goes after Andy. Andy
disagrees with that, but Donald says that Andy, the
debating champion is being beaten badly by Sandy.
Sandy finally puts two and two together - and she tells
Andy that he told Jen that she was safe, adding that it
gave both of them all day to build a case against her.
Andy does admit that this was indeed the case, and
that's probably the worst thing he could have done,
because he can't put in a word in edgewise. Sandy keeps
on wailing on him, and all Andy can do is nod his head
up and down and agree with her. Donald breaks this up
and spares Andy any further humiliation. 'I just don't
want somebody running one of my companies that's going
to be beaten up so badly. You're fired.'
The women leave Andy alone in the Boardroom as they head
on to the elevators, and Sandy still giving Jen a piece
of her mind. Andy is the only person to stick around and
thank Donald for the opportunity before he leaves. When
he does, Donald thought that Sandy was going, but he
realized that Sandy just out spunked him. 'I always
thought that women were tougher than men. This just
proves it.'
But what does it prove in the standings chart?
So Far, So Good - Kelly, Kevin, Jennifer M.
In Trouble - Ivana, Sandy
You're Fired - Andy
Before the coming attractions, Andy is in the cab,
complaining that he'll never get a job. Raj says he will
- he's the cab driver. Way to have a sense of worth, Raj.
I hope he got paid well.
Next week - They teams sell chocolate and the women take
selling themselves a little too far. Join us in 7 days
to see how far is too far. |