Alpha Cola, the best selling soft drink nationally among soda drinkers aged 18 to 25, recently completed an expensive and successful ad campaign. The makers of Epsilon Cola, a less popular soft drink that has been on the market for many years, claim that without the recent ad campaign, Alpha Cola would be no more popular than Epsilon.
Which of the following, if true, would cast the most serious doubt on the assertion of the makers of Epsilon Cola?
(A) Alpha Cola’s recent ad campaign was intended in part to increase sales of the soft drink to soda drinkers aged 18 to 25.
(B) Beverage buying decisions can be significantly influenced with effective ad campaigns.
(C) Alpha Cola’s recent advertising campaign was one of the most expensive advertising campaigns in history.
(D) Prior to the recent campaign, Alpha Cola had never advertised but had significantly outsold all other soft drinks on the market for several years.
(E) Most people prefer the taste of Epsilon Cola to that of Alpha Cola.