Cheerwine Reps Stealthily Pay Off Shoppers' Grocery Bills

I don't drink much soda, but there is a special place in my heart for Cheerwine. It tastes sort of like cherry soda, and a touch like Dr. Pepper, but I like it better than the ol' Doc. It's good stuff. Cheerwine Zero Sugar will hit grocery store shelves this month, and in celebration, the brand provided shoppers at a Charlotte area Food Lion store with a special surprise last week. WBTV has the scoop.

A team from the family-owned brand was at the Food Lion handing out samples of the new sugar-free soda along with gift cards to cheer customers up (geddit?). And then they sprang a nice surprise on shoppers. When some of them were checking out, the Cheerwine reps told them that they "owed zero dollars on their grocery bills," in a cheeky nod to Cheerwine Zero Sugar. All in all, around 35 people walked out with their grocery tabs paid, probably in sheer joy. Other shoppers walked out of the store with free two-liter bottles of Cheerwine Zero Sugar and bags full of Cheerwine swag.

This reminds me of a story from last fall, where a Boise man paid for $5,000 worth of groceries in a similar manner. It was his birthday, and that's how he chose to celebrate it. Not all news has to be crappy, does it? I just never happen to be anywhere when cool stuff like this happens.