Pepsi brings back taste challenge for Next brand
Pepsi has brought back its taste challenge for its new Next brand, pitting the drink with “naturally less sugar” up against competitor Coca-Cola.
The commercial, created by brand experience agency Play Communications, features a Pepsi Next van travelling across Australia, Aussies taking part in the taste test and ends with the tagline “Does naturally less sugar Pepsi Next taste better than full sugar Coke? Let your taste decide”.
The Pepsi Challenge was launched in 1975 in the US as the brand looked to take on Coca-Cola and win a bigger market share, and has seen various incarnations worldwide since.
The campaign has been activated by Play Communications, which is also understood to have created the TV campaign.
Pepsi Next launched in Australia in 2012.
Please let it be noted that everything I write below should be filed under #firstworldproblems:
I’m a big Pepsi fan. Loved the brand since I was at Uni 20 years ago. Much prefer it to Coke. So it disappoints me that the Pepsi brand team, and their sales team, have done a suburb job in being totally overrun by Coke. At every single point of soft drink sale in Australia, Coke have managed to lock out Pepsi from even being sold. Bar supermarkets and perhaps BP garages. Everywhere else, Pepsi is almost extinct.
Which is why this campaign surprises me. Even if the consumer loves the taste of Pepsi Next (which I do) then they don’t have the freedom to buy it everywhere. This is a major failing in any sales and marketing strategy.
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I remember doing the Pepsi challenge back in the 1980’s (yes I am that old) and I think everything from the 80’s is cool so I’m digging this new campaign, although I do agree with the comment above.
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Wow this is possibly one of the most boring rehashed ads I’ve ever seen. If you are desperate just rinse and repeat old work and that is what Pepsi seems to be doing!
Pepsi used to be a great brand in Aus in terms of marketing comms and making great creative. Who on earth is running their Marketing department these days, its gone steadily downhill over the last few years.
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I’m pretty sure the creators of this ad campaign are the young crew at http://eightyfiveproductions.com.au/ They worked closely with Play!
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