Justin Timberlake speaks during the Pepsi Super Bowl LII Halftime Show press conference February 1, 2018 in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
Timothy A. Clary | AFP | Getty Images
Coca-Cola and PepsiCo will not promote their namesake soft drinks in Super Bowl commercials this year.
The decades-long rivalry between the two glue brands is often highlighted with dubious advertisements during the annual NFL championship game. But this year, both will be left out. Variety reported the news for the first time.
Pepsi is replacing its traditional Super Bowl ad slot with a new campaign to spearhead the halftime game with The Weeknd. This year marks the 10-year anniversary of Pepsi’s sponsorship of the Super Bowl halftime show. But Mtn Dew and Frito-Lay, both owned by PepsiCo, have plans for in-game ads.
In a statement to CNBC, Coca said it would make a toast to other brands this year.
“This difficult choice was made to ensure that we are investing in the right resources during these unprecedented times,” said spokeswoman Kate Hartman.
In 2019, he chose to run an ad before the Super Bowl game, not during. But recently, the beverage giant has recovered from the impact of the coronavirus pandemic. Its revenue fell 13% during the first nine months of 2020, as it lost sales in restaurants, gas stations and office buildings. PepsiCo receives a smaller proportion of its sales on occasions away from home.
Coca’s shares fell 14% last year, giving it a market value of $ 210 billion. PepsiCo’s shares rose 2% at the same time, giving it a market value of $ 197 billion.