A viral Facebook post shared over 3,100 times claims Pepsi’s new can design features an image of the Empire State Building along with the Pledge of Allegiance without the phrase “Under God.”

Verdict: False

There is no record of Pepsi producing cans with a picture of the Empire State Building and the Pledge of Allegiance. The claim appears to stem from a Dr. Pepper can design from 2001.

Fact Check: 

The post alleges that Pepsi recently revealed a new design for its soda cans that feature an image of the Empire State Building and the Pledge of Allegiance, sans the words “Under God.” It urges people not to buy them and for people to share the post in protest.

“Don’t buy the new Pepsi can coming out with pics of the Empire State building and the Pledge of Allegiance on them,” the Facebook post reads. “Pepsi left out 2 little words in the pledge ‘Under God.’ Pepsi said they didn’t want to offend anyone. So if we don’t buy them, they won’t be offended when they don’t receive our money with the words ‘In God We Trust’ on it.”

But Check Your Fact found no evidence that Pepsi has released a can with such a design. A search of PepsiCo’s website turned up no results for an announcement for a new can design to that effect. Pepsi released a statement around 2007 confirming that it “never produced such a can,” Snopes reported.

It appears this claim originated in 2002 after Dr. Pepper released a can with an image of the Statue of Liberty and the words “One nation…Indivisible.” The cans were released in November 2001 in an effort to show support following the events of the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, according to a statement from Cadbury Schweppes, the company that owned Dr. Pepper at the time. The can was retired in February 2002, per the statement.

“Only three words were used from the Pledge of Allegiance,” part of the statement reads. “Those three words were in concert with the patriotic mood of the nation. We at Dr Pepper/Seven Up strongly believe that the message on these cans is a resoundingly patriotic message that we are a united nation.”

While Pepsi and Dr. Pepper are owned by two seperate companies, the claim that Pepsi released the controversial can appears to recirculate online every few years.