Tropicana Becomes 'Tropcn' After Ditching AI from Its Name at CES

It’s become de rigueur in some corners of American life to come out in opposition to artificial intelligence. But Tropicana is doing so in the belly of the beast, CES, with a surprise appearance to hand out bottles of “Tropcn”—the brand name with the letters A and I removed.

The stunt—goofy but entertaining, as far as it goes—is less about the worry of machines taking over the world and more about celebrating the brand’s natural ingredients. Still, the CES location adds a little fun tension—with the brand suggesting “each new AI advancement seemingly brings us closer to the artificial world and further from the natural.”

“Our limited-edition run of ‘Tropcn’ orange juice bottles represents our ongoing commitment to delivering the highest quality 100% orange juice to Americans,” Monica McGurk, CEO of Tropicana Brands Group’s North American business unit, said in a statement. “Since 1954, Tropicana has been at the forefront, innovating ways to bring fresh-tasting orange juice from natural oranges to breakfast tables nationwide. Artificial just isn’t in our DNA.”

In addition to stocking the Tropcn cart at CES, Tropicana has also hidden bottles of “Tropcn” in participating Kroger Family of Stores nationwide. Those who find the bottles can scan a code and enter for a chance to win a trip to lovely, orangey Florida.

Originally published on Ad Age here.