SoBe Apologizes for Joke Bottle Cap Message About 'Trapped' Worker

The PepsiCo brand said that the message was part of a contest in 2013.

ByABC News
July 2, 2015, 1:43 PM
Bottles of Sobe beverages are pictured.
Bottles of Sobe beverages are pictured.
cu.pepsico.com

— -- Beverage brand SoBe is apologizing for a joke message under its bottle caps that has caused some alarm among drinkers.

Some customers say the message under some SoBe caps with the words, "Help me trapped in SoBe factory," is no joking matter.

"It's tasteless and mocks people who actually do work in slave like conditions ... major mistake," one Facebook users posted on the company's page.

The company responded on social media, saying: "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," the company's Facebook response states.

A spokeswoman for SoBe, which is owned by PepsiCo, told ABC News the company hasn't received a large volume of complaints from customers expressing concern and that the responses on social media are mostly people who understand that the message is a joke.

SoBe said the message was part of a contest program in 2013, "Message in a Bottle," that invited consumers to submit fun messages for bottle caps.

The spokeswoman said it is not clear if that message was submitted by a member of the public.