7Up revives Fido for new Asia action

The campaign is based on Fido Dido, the quick-witted icon that took a generation by storm with its 'King of cool' attitude in the early '90s.

J. Walter Thompson vice-president and senior creative director, Syed Usman, said Fido was dropped due to copyright issues with the creator in the mid-90s. "His character is incredibly important as it is all about attitude, being cool and ageless. Although he disappeared for a while, he remains contemporary." The new push will see Fido spread the word through an aggressive multimedia package, including VHQ-developed TVCs, radio ads, new outdoor signage and POS merchandise. 7Up will also introduce new packaging featuring Fido and his 'Fidosophies', with such sayings as 'It's cool to be you' and 'Normal is boring'. "Fido will be out in India first then Australia and Southeast Asia. It depends on the seasonality and when the soft drinks market begin their push for the summer," added Usman.

An industry source said the push was part of Pepsi's efforts to grow the category and build brand salience, as the clear drink segment in India accounts for less than 10 per cent of the carbonated soft drinks market.