The weekend in Pepsi’s “Get Ready” ad.
Pepsi
The Pepsi halftime show may star in The Weeknd, but the company expects its new campaign to create buzz for the show throughout the month.
Drinks brand PepsiCo is replacing its traditional Super Bowl ad with a new campaign to kick off the halftime show with the musician.
Pepsi, which will sponsor the Super Bowl halftime show for the tenth year, said it marks the first time the company has shown its talent in a commercial about the show. The campaign will begin with a commercial during the NFL playoff games this weekend.
“Brands are always running over each other to get a 30 [second spot] and do something fun on social media and try to connect and penetrate, “said Pepsi vice president of marketing Todd Kaplan to CNBC in an interview.” Really, we’re going to take the experience from 12 minutes to six weeks. “
For companies, the game represents a rare opportunity to get the country’s attention at once, even more rare after a year in which numerous live events were canceled, delayed or otherwise affected by the coronavirus pandemic.
Companies like M&M, Pringles, Toyota and TurboTax have already said they are advertising during the game. But this year’s event will be unlike any other for brands, which will have to reach the right tone in their marketing as the pandemic intensifies and political tensions potentially subside after the presidential transition.
Kaplan said the company is taking an optimistic approach with its own announcement. The ad shows people restocking supermarket shelves, drying their hair, cleaning the pool and doing other solo activities while dancing or singing The Weeknd’s “Blinding Lights”, which was released in 2019 and was “Billboard 100’s No. 1 Song” Year “in 2020.
“I think that while consumers are now really looking for optimism and a little bit of escapism, you know, given what everyone has been through,” said Kaplan. “I think it doesn’t matter what the nation is going through … people like music. It’s a little bit of escapism, and just fun in everyday life, showing these everyday moments.”
The Pepsi campaign will include the TV spot, a digital push and packaging in 500 million bottles and cans with a QR code that leads to a website with branded content and augmented reality experiences. It will also have retail promotions with store displays at store locations including Kroger, Target, 7-Eleven, Dollar General.