Pepsi is putting its newest product on the country's biggest stage with a massive giveaway tied to its Super Bowl ad.
Pepsi Next went national last March. Since then, execs have said the brand is exceeding expectations, giving them the confidence to buy the soda a 30-second Super Bowl ad and invest in a massive product giveaway. TBWA/Chiat/Day is handling the ad, which includes the tagline, "Drink It to Believe It."
Given the country's concern about sugar intake, promoting Pepsi Next, which has 60 calories per 12 oz. serving and 60% less sugar than regular Pepsi, seems like a smart move. The goal is to have a "big impact on trial and awareness," said Angelique Krembs, VP-marketing for the Pepsi trademark. The brand will help that along by giving away one million two-liter bottles of Pepsi Next to the first million consumers that sign up at PepsiNext.com once the ad airs during the first half of the game.
"We're putting turbos behind [Pepsi Next]," Ms. Krembs said earlier this year. "We're hoping it's a smart use of such a big stage."
The ad shows a wild house party where Pepsi Next is the beverage of choice that gets interrupted by a young man's parents. For those watching closely, the closing line "I'm good" -- as a guy crashes to the floor -- is reminiscent of Pepsi Max's 2009 Super Bowl ad. That commercial, an effort to reposition Pepsi Max as the diet cola for men, showed guys getting hurt by golf clubs, electrocution and other means but invariably saying "I'm good." TBWA/Chiat/Day also worked on that campaign.
Pepsi execs have said the brand attracts a diverse group, skewing only slightly male and covering a broad age range. Mostly they're regular Pepsi drinkers who want to cut back on sugar and are resistant to diet sodas, even in the form of Pepsi Max. For that reason, Pepsi Next marketing and packaging emphasizes "less sugar" rather than "fewer calories."