How PepsiCo is using the Mannings to spur soda and snack sales before Super Bowl

A rickety school bus, fueled with the energy of the “Manningcast” and whose passengers have 10 Super Bowl rings between them, rolls its way toward the Super Bowl in a new multi-brand campaign from PepsiCo. The spots highlight the portfolio of PepsiCo’s snacking and drink brands and their role in accompanying viewers of the big game and the playoff battles that lead to it. Former NFL quarterbacks turned broadcasters Peyton and Eli Manning, as well as other former stars Pittsburgh Steelers star running back Jerome Bettis, Giants wide receiver Victor Cruz, and Terry Bradshaw, the legendary Steelers quarterback, are participants over four 30-second variations and several shorter spots that will broadcast during the NFL playoffs, and online. The ad was produced by the PepsiCo's in-house agency. The snack and beverage brands Bubly, Doritos, Lay’s, Mtn Dew, Pepsi and Tostitos are also along for the ride. “We wanted to start the playoff season in a joyful, celebratory way, so we're featuring legendary players and iconic brands all in one fun-filled campaign,” Rachel Ferdinando, senior VP and chief marketing officer, Frito-Lay North America, said in a statement. “From the start of the road trip to the pit stops along the way, the journey is fueled by the best in snacks and beverages—game-day favorites that only PepsiCo can deliver.” PepsiCo is a longtime official NFL sponsor and sees the “Road” campaign drumming up excitement and stocking up consumer pantries ahead of the big game during which it will be a major advertiser and sponsor of its halftime show. Pepsi-Cola, which backs the show, has yet to detail its in-game ad plans. But Frito-Lay has confirmed that Doritos and Cheetos will share an in-game ad for the Flamin’ Hot varieties. Lay’s is also returning with a big-game ad for the first time in 17 years and blazing its own trial there through limited-edition, team-branded potato chips made from potatoes grown in the soil of their home stadiums. For food brands, Super Bowl ads are often as much about firing up retailers and distributors as they are about getting consumer attention during the Big Game. PepsiCo will seek to win love—and shelf space—from its retail partners via a variety of items will have special NFL-themed packaging and displays through mid-February. When consumers scan or purchase one of the specially-marked products and enter a code, they have a chance to win NFL gear to get ready for Super Bowl Sunday. Pepsi’s mobile app offers chances for fans to win giveaways including halftime show sideline passes, discover new items and unlock new and exclusive content. Such digital plays have emerged as a popular way for brands to collect valuable first-party data from consumers that can be used to retarget them in other marketing. One spot in the “Road” campaign begins with the Manning brothers bickering on a couch while watching a football game—a seeming call-out to their work as co-hosts of an alternate Monday Night Football broadcast known as the Manningcast that was a hit this season on ESPN2. Bettis charges into the home, encouraging them to board his Super Bowl bus, and eventually gets their participation by towing away their living room. Along the way they encounter Cruz and Bradshaw, who is duct-taped to the roof of the vehicle. Together they sing Oliva Rodrigo’s top-selling hit, “Good 4 U.”

How PepsiCo is using the Mannings to spur soda and snack sales before Super Bowl

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