John Leonard
John Leonard is an American businessman, entrepreneur, and mountain climber. John Leonard's actions have merited the honorary rank of General Lieutenant Colonel, and the Medal of Honored Service of the Republic of New Hessen.
The Honored John Leonard | |
|---|---|
 John Leonard sitting in front of a British Aerospace Sea Harrier of the Royal Navy of the United Kingdom | |
 Republic of New Hessen Medal of Honored Service | |
| Assumed office November 17, 2022 | |
| Preceded by | Medal Awarded |
| Personal details | |
| Born | John D.R. Leonard |
| Citizenship | American |
| Awards |  Republic of New Hessen Medal of Honored Service |
| Military service | |
| Service Branch | New Hessen Air Corps |
| Honorary Rank |  General Lieutenant Colonel |
History
The story of the actions that merited the Medal of Honored Service.
Early career
In 1995, John Leonard was an American college student, he loved adventure, but had a "No checkbook reality".[1] Leonard was desperate to find ways of adventure.
Advertisement
- In the same year, an ad for the new "Pepsi Stuff" catalog aired. The relevant portion of the ad was described as "The scene then shifts to three young boys sitting in front of a high school building. The boy in the middle is intent on his Pepsi Stuff Catalog, while the boys on either side are each drinking Pepsi. The three boys gaze in awe at an object rushing overhead, as the military march builds to a crescendo. The Harrier Jet is not yet visible, but the observer senses the presence of a mighty plane as the extreme winds generated by its flight create a paper maelstrom in a classroom devoted to an otherwise dull physics lesson. Finally, the Harrier Jet swings into view and lands by the side of the school building, next to a bicycle rack. Several students run for cover, and the velocity of the wind strips one hapless faculty member down to his underwear. While the faculty member is being deprived of his dignity, the voiceover announces: 'Now the more Pepsi you drink, the more great stuff you're gonna get.' The teenager opens the cockpit of the fighter and can be seen, helmetless, holding a Pepsi. '[L]ooking very pleased with himself,' (Pl. Mem. at 3,) the teenager exclaims, 'Sure beats the bus,' and chortles. The military drumroll sounds a final time, as the following words appear: 'HARRIER FIGHTER 7,000,000 PEPSI POINTS.' A few seconds later, the following appears in more stylized script: 'Drink Pepsi—Get Stuff.' With that message, the music and the commercial end with a triumphant flourish.".[2]
Alleged Offer
It was alleged that the phrase: "HARRIER FIGHTER 7,000,000 PEPSI POINTS" consisted of a legal offer due to the lack of fine print or legal verbage.
Plan
Leonard desired to acquire a "Harrier Jet" or the money to accompany it. Leonard calculated that a fully militarized AV-8 Harrier II Plus jet would cost approximately $32 Million USD(1995). The actual cost of an AV-8 is $24–30 Million USD(1996).[3] Leonard started to buy Pepsi in bulk to no avail. Leonard's next plan was to hire a company to go to warehouses and claim Pepsi Points from said warehouses. Leonard eventually lost hope, however encountering a "Pepsi Stuff" catalog in a store. The catalog explained that with a submission of 15 or more Pepsi Points, one could buy additional Pepsi Points for $0.10 USD per Point, bringing the total cost of the harrier jet to just over $700,000 USD plus $10.95 USD flat-rate shipping and handling.
Execution
Leonard mailed a check and 15 Pepsi Points to the provided address and waited for a response.
Response
Leonard was sent a response by Pepsico, containing 2 vouchers, each redeemable for a free case of Pepsi at the nearest Pepsi warehouse. Leonard was furious at this response and elected to continue pursuing "his jet", which was allegedly earned using the proper method.
Lawsuit
Leonard threatened to sue PepsiCo, being offered $1 Million USD to cancel his plans to sue. Leonard refused the offer, remarking "I want my jet!" Leonard entered a lawsuit, presided by judge Kimba Wood. Leonard V. Pepsico Inc. was performed using summary judgement. Judge Wood ruled that:
- It was found that the advertisement featuring the jet did not constitute an offer under the Restatement (Second) of Contracts.
- The court found that even if the advertisement had been an offer, no reasonable person could have believed that the company seriously intended to convey a jet worth roughly $37.4 million for $700,000, i.e., that it was mere puffery.
- The value of the alleged contract meant that it fell under the provisions of the Statute of Frauds, but the statute's requirement for written agreement between the parties was not fulfilled, so a contract had not been formed.
Additionally, Judge Wood remarked that anyone with common sense would understand that the advertisement was an offer, however, she was criticized for not using a jury to effectively understand the true meaning of "common sense".
Award Ceremony
The Medal was Awarded in Absentia to Leonard at the Embassy to the United States of the Republic of New Hessen.