With Memorial Day just across the bend, Pepsi is staking a claim as the superior soft drink for grilling as a part of a long-running platform centered on food pairings. The brand enlisted Bobby Flay for the hassle that positions its beverages as the best drink to go with burgers, hot dogs and other cookout fare. The celebrity chef helped develop two recent limited-time offerings, Pepsi Lime and Pepsi Peach, which can be intended to enrich meals on the grill and can be available at national retail throughout the summer, differing from past seasonal LTO strategies from the marketer that had narrower releases.
Aligned with Pepsi’s deal with encouraging “unapologetic enjoyment,” messaging for the campaign, titled “Grills Night Out,” emphasizes that grilling doesn’t must be reserved for major holidays like Fourth of July. Instead, Pepsi is pushing people to interrupt out the charcoal or propane as an on a regular basis occasion, citing Harris Poll data that exposed 84% of consumers expect to grill more this 12 months in comparison with 2023.
“It doesn’t at all times should be a giant, 30-person event. It might be just on a Tuesday,” said Pepsi CMO Todd Kaplan in an interview.
Creative is anchored by a trio of TV commercials that walk through the grilling process with backing from retro pop tunes including “Hot Stuff” by Donna Summer and “December, 1963 (Oh, What a Night)” by Frankie Vallie & The Four Seasons. The first spot, “Prep,” stars Flay as he dons his signature apron and demonstrates his culinary skills, throwing in some dance moves for good measure. Follow-up ads “Cook” and “Enjoy” keep the animated energy going as people gather in backyards and on patios to commiserate over seared meats, veggies and Pepsi. A Spanish-language spot, “Carne Asada, Parrillada o Asado,” is a component of Pepsi’s outreach to Hispanic consumers.
In addition, Flay features in a social video series to share grill suggestions and guides for preparing dishes such as his Green Chili Burger. Flay was appointed as Pepsi ambassador in April, a response to how food content and tastemakers are increasingly popular with consumers, based on Kaplan.
“Half of the stuff I see on my social channels [is] people prepping food, eating food,” said Kaplan. “Food culture is de facto hitting a peak of interest immediately within the country.”
Other media elements of “Grills Night Out” span in-store displays, digital content shorts and stunts, while Pepsi has partnered with Instacart for a giveaway running through May 19 that can see winners in New York City, Chicago and Los Angeles secure jumbo-sized orders of grilling essentials. VaynerMedia, Direct Focus and Acceleration Community of Companies aided on the campaign launching for a key sales window for soda.
“As you think that of it from a category standpoint, the summer is one in every of the largest timeframes. We wish to ensure our brand is top of mind,” said Kaplan. “It’s essential to drive that deeper association.”
Shaking up strategy
“Grills Night out,” a pun on “girls night out,” extends a #HigherWithPepsi platform that debuted in 2021 and argues the PepsiCo marketer’s beverages are one of the best complement for quite a lot of meals. The original campaign referenced chief rival Coke’s relationship with leading fast-food chains through canny ads that used the restaurants’ mascots and iconography to as an alternative promote Pepsi.
#HigherWithPepsi has modified tactically through the years, with among the combative edge turned down. Last summer’s #HigherWithPepsi push starred competitive eater Joey Chestnut and hawked a ketchup-inspired beverage called Colachup for July Fourth. Pepsi Lime and Pepsi Peach, which were created in collaboration with Flay, are more conventional flavors that could have wider availability to consumers. The idea is that the sweetness of peach and sharpness of lime amplify the flavors in grilled dishes, while Pepsi’s citric acid content and carbonation can break down grease and aid with digestion.
“These are literally available for sale at retailers in every single place nationally all summer long whereas among the stuff we’ve done up to now were more limited drops,” said Kaplan.
Shifting the LTO approach comes as marketing activity within the soft drink category is again on the rise, with Coke recently introducing its first everlasting flavor addition in years and Sprite going toe-to-toe with Starry, PepsiCo’s recent lemon-lime contender. Alcohol giants like Anheuser-Busch and Molson Coors also attempt to own cookout season, but Pepsi sees room for multiple players as a part of its argument that grilling ought to be a more casual, regular habit versus something done once in a blue moon.
“It’s not at all times about having a bender on a Saturday night,” said Kaplan. “Grilling is such a particular occasion that we all know we’ve the precise to win.”
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