Pepsi Wild Cherry courts aging millennials as flavored soda sales pop

Pepsi is introducing the primary dedicated campaign for its Wild Cherry variant in three years with an eye fixed on millennials who’re finally settling down and living the realities of “adulting,” a term they once paradoxically used to deride on a regular basis activities like paying bills and grocery shopping. Called “Get Wild,” the trouble recognizes that what qualifies as “wild” for the cohort today could be very different than within the 2000s and 2010s, when millennials were often scolded for “killing” quite a lot of industries — including soda.

“Their lives look different now than they did 10-20 years ago, but they still know the best way to have a good time, they still know the best way to indulge,” said Jenny Danzi, senior director of Pepsi Trademark, herself a millennial. “It’s just that that indulgence looks slightly bit tamer as of late.”

The campaign comes on the tail of a wide-ranging Pepsi rebrand last 12 months in celebration of the soft drink’s a hundred and twenty fifth anniversary, which brought a fresh visual identity to Wild Cherry, such as packaging blanketed with colourful cherries carrying Pepsi-blue stems. The refresh and a latest Pepsi pulse motif firstly of commercials are present in “Get Wild,” which also carries over mainstay tactics for the brand, such as nostalgic references to popular music.

One spot, “Nursery Rhymez,” depicts a pair of latest parents spontaneously breaking out into Lil Jon and The East Side Boyz’ party-themed 2002 single “Get Low” while attempting to stay quiet enough so as to not wake their baby. Another, “#1 Fan,” follows the extreme pre-game ritual of a sports fan set to the driving rhythm of Survivor’s “Eye of the Tiger” only to disclose his over-the-top antics are for a youth flag football game his child is competing in.

The ads, which were helmed by director Kate Hollowell and her women-led production house Epoch Films, are survive YouTube now and can debut on national TV as a part of NFL Wild Card Weekend starting Jan. 13. Pepsi Wild Cherry can be catering to millennials’ digital habits with media buys on social, podcasts and mobile gaming. Partners include Barstool Sports, Betches, the favored “Call Her Daddy” podcast and Candy Crush Saga.

Winning over millennial women

Pepsi Wild Cherry is attempting to court favor with a consumer set that has risen to turn out to be key sales drivers for flavored cola. Millennial women express a very strong preference for the category, the brand said.

“Within these millennial households which might be driving this potential growth, they do skew female,” said Danzi. “It’s each women looking for themselves, and ladies are likely to be the purchaser for the household.”

“Get Wild” puts a highlight on women-owned and -targeted media, including through the Betches partnership, “Call Her Daddy” promoting play and behind-the-scenes work from Epoch Films. VaynerMedia helped develop the campaign.

At the identical time, “Get Wild” is supposed to hold broad appeal, rolling out in earnest around NFL Wild Card Weekend (Pepsi is a sponsor of the football league). Danzi declined to share if there are any Super Bowl plans across the initiative but noted that Pepsi Wild Cherry will remain lively in marketing throughout Q1.

“The fantastic thing about finding an actual human insight, even when it’s built from one small segment, is that it tends to resonate across demographics and transcend audiences,” said Danzi. “[The ads] might’ve been built with one specific demographic at its heart, but Pepsi is all the time for everybody and we’re finding that this campaign is, too.”

Driving sampling

Pepsi can be making its zero-sugar products a North Star as more consumers gravitate toward better-for-you beverage options. The company reformulated its zero-sugar drinks, including Wild Cherry, last 12 months and promoted the changes in a Super Bowl ad.