PLANO, TX: The Dr Pepper Snapple Group is facing a legal battle with Guns N' Roses after a PR campaign that promised consumers a free bottle of Dr Pepper went awry.

In March, the soft drink giant offered consumers a free Dr Pepper if the band released its long-awaited Chinese Democracy album in 2008. The offer was part of a “disruptive PR” campaign designed by AOR Ketchum, where a brand attaches itself to an ongoing news story to garner ...