For its Super Bowl campaign, Pepsi has decided to be bearish in the most savagely cheeky way to send a message that its Pepsi Zero Sugar cola is the clear choice for those who’ve taken its Pepsi Challenge — including its competitors’ alleged mascots.
As its viral teaser, which ran during the AFC/NFC Championship games, suggested, The Choice is an unsubtle dig at its biggest competitor, Coca-Cola, with the spot featuring a blindfolded polar bear — which the brand has used as a mascot for over a century — sitting down to take The Pepsi Challenge, a blind taste test pitting the brand’s zero sugar offering against Coke’s version. Its name also harkens back to another piece of Pepsi’s history: It’s iconic slogan from the ’80s and early ’90s, “The choice of a new generation,” (which reportedly, they can no longer use).
In the actual live action and CGI-animated spot (perhaps another jab at Coke’s controversial use of AI?), created in partnership by the PepsiCo Content Studio and BBDO and directed by Taika Waititi (who makes a cameo in the spot), it’s revealed the bear has chosen the Pepsi, causing him to grapple with the consequences of his taste preference. Waititi’s signature humor and penchant for never missing a good pop culture reference is as unsubtle as the message, wrapping the spot with a nod to the infamous Coldplay “Kiss Cam” scandal, and using the Queen classic anthem “I Want To Break Free” to musically interpret the distraught animal’s journey from devastation to self-discovery and acceptance.
In addition to the spot, the brand is executing an on-the-ground takeover in San Francisco featuring two seven-foot cola-loving “polar bears” engaging with revelers and Pepsi Challenge participants during Super Bowl week, game day giveaways with cash prizes and a digital activation in which consumers interested in taking the challenge can have a complimentary kit delivered via GoPuff ahead of Super Bowl watch parties in select markets.
“This is a big moment for Pepsi,” Gustavo Reyna, Pepsi’s VP of marketing told Campaign, noting this year was the first that the brand aired a teaser during the championship games. “We are going to the Super Bowl to make sure that people, consumers, understand this undeniable human truth — which is that Pepsi is the best tasting cola in the market. Period.”
Reyna said consumer’s response to the 15-second teaser — which has since amassed over 25 million views on YouTube as of press time — has been “fantastic.”
“It’s just a solid testament of that taste advantage. We’re pretty excited about this one.”
He said the team loved working with Waititi, who helmed last year’s Big Game spot for Pepsi’s sister brand, Mountain Dew, the memorable Kiss From A Lime.
“When we saw the creative, it was a very natural fit for him,” he said, “to add his personal touch, his flair, his wit and his charisma. Not only did he direct it, but he also acted in it. It was really fun to work with him on the two sides of the fence.”
Since reintroducing new generations to its Pepsi Challenge last year during a nationwide tour celebrating its 50th anniversary, the brand has doubled-down on its proclamation of being the preferred option for cola drinkers, bolstered by data, with results showing 66% of participants chose the beverage, winning 100% of the 34 markets it visited. The brand shared a recent collaborative post with creator Sportsball breaking down the math of the original challenge and the 2025 revival.
“The return of Pepsi Zero Sugar to the Super Bowl comes at a pivotal moment, following a strong year of growth as demand for zero and lower-sugar soda accelerates, and consumers seek a cola that doesn’t compromise taste,” said Reyna, who cited that Pepsi Zero Sugar “saw 30.8% growth, nearly double the zero-sugar cola category, and reached more than 1 million new households.”
A version of this article first appeared on Campaign US
