Thai stars plug Pepsi in dollars 2.5m TV blitz

<p>BANGKOK: Pepsi bottler Serm Suk has launched a 110 million baht </p><p>(USdollars 2.45 million) celebrity-driven blitz to maintain its leading </p><p>position in Thailand's cola market. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>Pepsi enjoyed a market share of 63 per cent in the local cola drink </p><p>market at the end of last year, said market observers. But fierce </p><p>competition is coming from Coca-Cola, which announced a major marketing </p><p>push for the coming months, including the "Coke SuperCup" football match </p><p>between Liverpool Football Club and the Thailand National Team in </p><p>July. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>The Pepsi campaign runs across all media, including television, radio, </p><p>outdoor, print and online. It features popular local singers, in </p><p>particular stars from the RS Promotion music label, as presenters of the </p><p>new "Live Music Your Way" campaign. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>Charlie Jitcharoongphorn, marketing director of Pepsi-Cola </p><p>International, said the campaign promotes the idea of teens expressing </p><p>their own identity. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>"Watching an artist sing and dance isn't enough for teenagers </p><p>anymore. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>This campaign urges them to interact with the music in their own way and </p><p>style. This is where the "Live Music Your Way" concept originates," he </p><p>said. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>The first television ad in the campaign, entitled "Jam", opens with a </p><p>group of teenagers waiting on a beach to board a ferry. A young man </p><p>picks up his guitar and begins singing an impromptu tune about the heat. </p><p>Another voice - that of local singer Dome - responds with his own </p><p>lyric. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>Then the others in the group suddenly produce musical instruments for </p><p>the jam session. Finally, Dome takes out his can of Pepsi, drinks from </p><p>it, then slides the can across the guitar frets. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>The 60-second spot was created by BBDO Bangkok and produced by The Shood </p><p>Company. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>The melody and lyrics were composed by Suthipong Wattanajang from RS </p><p>Promotion. </p><p><BR><BR> </p>