Why Pepsi Wild Cherry’s new campaign focuses on millennial women

For its first national advertising campaign in three years, Pepsi Wild Cherry is zeroing in on millennial women, a key driver of flavored cola category growth. “Flavored cola has a lot of upside in it. And that upside is being driven by millennial households,” Jenny Danzi, senior marketing director at Pepsi, said in an interview. “And so we really went deep on consumer empathy to build this campaign.” The campaign, called “Get Wild,” shows how millennials cling to moments of youthful exuberance as they transition into adult responsibilities such as raising kids. Pepsi centered on women as category growth skews toward them, and because women are more like to make purchase decisions for their homes, Danzi said. “I really believe that to get to a tight human insight, it helps if you have a well-defined group,” Danzi said. “So we went deep with millennial females. That’s where you start to get some texture that life doesn’t look as wild or as carefree as it did 20 years ago, but they still like to have fun, they still like to indulge, and Pepsi can play a great role in those moments of enjoyment.” Also read: 5 Gen Z trends for brands to watch Below, more on the campaign. Super Bowl commercials Tracking the latest brand and agency plans Enter here Concept: In “Get Wild,” Pepsi Wild Cherry illustrates the transition from young adulthood to full adulthood—and what it really looks like when millennials get wild. Creative: “#1 Fan” shows a dedicated football fan gear-up with face paint, a cowbell and a cooler full of drinks—only to display his lusty rooting interests at his son’s pee-wee league game. In “Nursery Rhymez” (above), a couple coo their baby to sleep with a hushed version of the hip-hop classic “Get Low,” by Lil Jon & the East Side Boyz. Agency: VaynerMedia. Millennial women-led team: Commercial director Kate Hollowell is a filmmaker and comedian with Epoch Films, a women-owned production company. Millennial women Jackie Blaze, a group creative director at VaynerMedia, and Danzi also played key roles in the project. Back in the spotlight: “Get Wild” is Pepsi Wild Cherry’s first national ad campaign since partnering with Fox on the gameshow “Cherries Wild” in 2021. Danzi credited a “very strong consumer base” for sustaining the brand while PepsiCo turned its attention to sister brands such as Pepsi Zero Sugar last year. Wild Cherry is now in line to benefit from that investment. “This year, you’ll see more focus behind Wild Cherry, which is available in the new zero sugar formula, as well as regular and diet,” Danzi said. “But we think there’s a lot of upside with the light cola drinker and that cherry is the right answer for what they’re looking for.” Reach: The new commercials will debut on national TV during NFL Wild Card Weekend beginning Jan. 13. Sales trends: Through the first nine months of 2023, in retail channels only, regular Pepsi Wild Cherry grew by 11% in U.S. dollar sales, in line with the category, according to Duane Stanford, editor of Beverage Digest. Takeaways for the industry Look for the upside: Pepsi Wild Cherry can appeal to those who don’t drink soda habitually, and that signals a larger opportunity. “If you only have a few colas a month, cherry cola is that much sweeter, that much more indulgent,” Danzi said. “It might be the thing that brings you back to the category.” Best foot forward: Consumers prompted to seek out Pepsi Wild Cherry will find it the recipient of an attractive new package courtesy of Pepsi’s 2023 makeover. “The new designs, particularly on Pepsi Wild Cherry, are gorgeous,” Danzi said. “Having this new design that feels really aspirational and gorgeous and visually stunning I think is another element that’s going to make people pay attention to the whole trademark.” Focused insights, wide appeal: “We’re seeing the creative really resonate across the full adult population, which has been really fun to see,” Danzi said. “I think it’s even more powerful to see that resulting work resonating with football fans, with men and women across all adult age groups.” What’s next Pepsi Wild Cherry will support the campaign in several activations that leverage Pepsi’s NFL sponsorship. This includes a free can giveaway for consumers who text “Wildcherry" to 81234, beginning Jan. 13 and running through Super Bowl Sunday, Feb. 11. And fans purchasing Wild Cherry at participating retailers can scan a code on display for a chance to win 2025 NFL Wild Card game tickets. The brand is also undertaking a “significant investment” in digital media platforms including TikTok, Snapchat, Spotify, Barstool Sports and Betches, according to Pepsi. Check out the latest Ad Age events and award programs

Why Pepsi Wild Cherry’s new campaign focuses on millennial women

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