Pepsi is using the festive marketing iconography of its main competitor to increase its sugar-free offering by the end of the year. For nearly a century, Coca-Cola has used Santa in its advertising so actively that it has helped shape consumers’ enduring perception of the festive Father Christmas. However, Santa turns out to be a fickle soda fan in Pepsi\u2019s latest campaign, where he leaves the store with a gift bag full of Pepsi Zero Sugar, and later attempts to settle an argument in a live-stream-style video that he awkwardly tries to record.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Last weekend, Pepsi brought this concept into the real world during SantaCon in New York \u2014 an annual event where crowds of boisterous people walk between bars in Santa Claus costumes. Taste tests conducted during this chaotic traditional event revealed that eight out of ten Santa Clauses prefer Pepsi Zero Sugar, though the brand acknowledged that these results were not scientifically validated.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Other elements of the campaign include a national SMS promotion encouraging consumers to switch to Pepsi with a cashback reward promise through the end of the year. Pepsi is also releasing additional Santa-related content across its Instagram, Facebook, X, TikTok, and YouTube channels. The campaign\u2019s creative content was developed by the agency VaynerMedia.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Recently, PepsiCo marketers have stepped up efforts, focusing on camera-based “open plot” content designed to connect with social media audiences and go viral. During one of the stunts, Pepsi agents stormed fast food outlets that exclusively sell Coca-Cola products, replacing customers’ drinks with Pepsi, and some foul-mouthed reactions were caught on tape. New controversial moments between Pepsi and its competitors have surfaced amid a decline in the brand’s market share. Earlier this year, Pepsi lost its traditional spot as the second most popular soda in the U.S., ceding that position to Dr Pepper.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Coca-Cola also found itself in a tricky situation after launching a holiday campaign created using generative artificial intelligence (AI). This project, which taps into nostalgic elements of the company\u2019s past ads, sparked significant controversy in the creative community and received mixed reactions from consumers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Zevia, a soda brand using stevia as a sugar substitute, recently launched a campaign that deliberately included off-putting Christmas images created by AI as a sort of counter-reaction to Coca-Cola. Pepsi and Coca-Cola are striving to strengthen their positions amid growing competition from other \u201cbetter-for-you\u201d non-alcoholic drink brands, especially in the sugar-free category, which serves as a growth driver for both companies.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":5064,"template":"","acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n