Apple to launch new Pepsi-iTunes promotion [updated]

Apple will kick off another promotion with Pepsi later this month to give away 200 million free songs from the iTunes Music Store and nearly 2,000 iPod minis. Apple revealed details of the new promotion earlier this evening on its Web site, but later removed the page. As readers may recall, Apple and Pepsi launched a huge promotion at last year’s Super Bowl to give away 100 million downloads. The two companies also recently launched a similar promotion in Canada.

Starting at midnight on January 31, consumers will be able to look for codes under the caps of specially-marked 20-oz. and 1-liter bottles of Pepsi products for alphanumeric codes and a “Free song” message, which provides one free song download from the iTunes Music Store.

After redeeming your free song code, you will automatically be credited with one entry in the iPod mini sweepstakes, which will give away one iPod mini every hour (24 a day) from February 2 to April 11, with one final drawing on May 2. Apple said it will be giving away approximately 1,700 iPod minis—all of which will be silver with an engraved Pepsi logo on the back.

Free iTunes downloads must be redeemed by May 23, while the iPod mini sweepstakes period ends on April 30. Apple said the odds of winning a free song are 1 in 3 and that code entry limits are 10 per day or 200 total. The company said the odds of winning the daily iPod mini drawing depends on the total number of eligible entries received that hour/day. According to the official rules, all non-winning entries will be eligible for the next day’s drawing and all subsequent drawings.

Game pieces will be printed underneath caps of Pepsi, Diet Pepsi, Pepsi Wild Cherry, Mountain Dew, Diet Mountain Dew, Mountain Dew Code Red and Sierra Mist and under the rim of specially-marked 32 oz. and 44 oz. fountain cups available at participating locations. It should be noted that last year’s promotion did not include Mountain Dew products, which many complained about.

Like last year, Apple and Pepsi are expected to air a new commercial for the promotion during the Super Bowl on February 6. An official announcement from the two companies regarding this year’s promotion should be dropped tomorrow.