If it’s good enough for Memorial Day weekend, then it’s good enough for a Tuesday.

That’s the notion behind “Grills Night Out,” a new summer campaign from Pepsi meant to align the brand with foods cooked outdoors, while highlighting the joy of preparing and sharing them.

The campaign is the current iteration of “Better with Pepsi,” the brand’s long-running food series. It includes a summerlong TV ad campaign starring celebrity chef Bobby Flay, along with in-store promotion, social content, and two limited-time flavors, Pepsi Lime and Pepsi Peach, released last month.

“Most people plan to grill more each year—it’s something they always want to do, but they don’t always get to as much as they want,” Todd Kaplan, Pepsi’s chief marketing officer, said in an interview. “And so we thought there’s a really fun way that Pepsi can play a role to evoke the joy of grilling and really instigate some more excitement around it all summer long.”

Grilling is a practice that nine of 10 Americans eagerly anticipate every year, according to Harris Poll data cited by Pepsi, with 84% of consumers saying that they plan to grill more this year than they did last year. And though 80% of Americans say they prefer outdoor barbecues to dining out, consumers often limit their grilling sessions to holiday weekends and big events.

The creative

Better with Pepsi began in 2021 with an award-winning campaign around burgers. It has since tackled pizza, hot dogs and rum, generating brand buzz and what Kaplan calls “situational salience,” helping consumers to associate Pepsi with those foods.

Three new TV ads, along with a Spanish-language version, celebrate scenes of grilling from prep to mealtime, all set to classic pop and soul, and accompanied by Pepsi products.

In an ad called “Prep,” (above) Flay shakes his hips to Kool & The Gang’s “Ladies Night” as he fires up the grill, chops peppers, tomatoes and onions, and flips a burger. In “Cook” groups are gathered around a rooftop grill and in a backyard, dancing to Donna Summer’s “Hot Stuff.” And in an ad called “Enjoy” a large gathering enjoys grilled foods and Pepsi as Frankie Valli’s “Oh What A Night” plays.

Pepsi worked with VaynerMedia and Direct Focus, with Acceleration Community of Companies for PR.

The insight

While beverage makers like Pepsi realize their biggest stock-ups of the year around Memorial Day and July 4, stretching their association with holiday barbecues to everyday meals makes sense, especially because so many people say they’d prefer to cook and eat that way.

“Grilling doesn't always have to be a big party. A lot of people have grilling bucketed around the three big holidays—Memorial Day, July 4 Labor Day. And it can be a chore for some people when you have got 20 people coming over and you’ve got to prep everything,” Kaplan said. “We want to encourage people that any night can be a grill night. On a Tuesday, just go out in your backyard and fire up some stuff, get it going.”

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Media strategy

Along with the new commercials, the campaign includes in-store displays and an array of digital content including a social series on grill tips, tricks and tutorials to teach grill techniques as well as how to prepare Flay’s green chili burger.

Pepsi is also teaming up with Instacart on a sweepstakes that will deliver a customized grocery order based on the key items and search data for Memorial Day along with Pepsi items, grilling essentials and other merchandise. The prize will be delivered to the winner’s home by Instacart ahead of the Memorial Day holiday.

Business climate

Pepsi has been pushing an association with food to spark more frequent purchases and develop the notion that food tastes better with its products. “Foodie science” supports this contention, with citric acid cutting through grease, and carbonation and sweetness complementing fire-grilled foods, according to Kaplan. The summery sweetness of the newly released Lime and Peach varieties also pairs well with smoky and savory flavors from the grill.

Rival Coke has also been emphasizing its ties to food.

“We want to make sure that we drive that deeper association to not forget the Pepsi because we know this is one of those beverages that will literally make grilled food taste better,” Kaplan said.

Flagship full-sugar Pepsi saw its U.S. volume decline by 4.7% last year, underperforming the larger carbonated beverage category, where volume dipped by 1.7%. That helped flagship Dr Pepper to achieve parity with Pepsi, according to Beverage Digest, with both brands controlling 8.3% of the U.S. retail and fountain/foodservice carbonated beverage sales.