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This Super Bowl Sunday, Pepsi is betting big on its zero sugar product with two dedicated in-game spots starring comedic icons Ben Stiller and Steve Martin.
But once football fans actually catch a glimpse of the brand’s latest work, they might find themselves asking, “Are these two acting in my best interests, or are they just acting?”
Deviating from its more pop-heavy ad roots, the brand debuts its “Great Acting or Great Taste” campaign for Pepsi Zero Sugar featuring the two comedy veterans. This Big Game effort marks the brand’s first in-game product push in three years as well as the first return altogether since ending its illustrious partnership with the Halftime Show in 2022. The campaign also serves as a Super Bowl debut for both Stiller and Martin.
In two minute-long spots, the actors touch on the function of major celebrities in advertising. As they cycle through the ways actors believably convey certain emotions, fans of Stiller and Martin get quick glimpses of the comedic chops that have hooked audiences over the years. In the end, the brand leaves the viewer with the option to try the product for themselves instead of simply accepting the word of its endorsers.
“It really comes down to a universal truth: the art of acting is really the art of making somebody feel or think something that is real when it’s not real,” said Pepsi’s CMO, Todd Kaplan, to Adweek. “And that’s really the crux of what this concept is. The only way to know what’s real is to do something yourself.”
Stiller’s spot also contains two important cameos: SNL alum Rachel Dratch and Zoolander, the loveably clueless supermodel that Stiller first brought to life in 2001.
The work was made in collaboration with agency VaynerMedia, production company Caviar and director Jorma Taccone of comedic group The Lonely Island, who is also making his Super Bowl directorial debut.
Savoring the moment
In addition to the spots, Pepsi is offering up to 10 million free cans and bottles of Pepsi Zero Sugar to those wanting to try the drink for themselves. Curios fans can text “FREE ZERO” to 81234 for a chance at a comped drink.
Kaplan also notes that the brand plans to spark conversation surrounding all of the night’s advertising.
“We’ll be doing a takeover on Twitter,” he shared. “We’ll have the number one slot of the most promoted tweet throughout the day, and we’ll be promoting this hashtag #RealorActing to fuel a debate that asks, did [the celebrity endorser] really enjoy that product, or is that just an actor?”
A different taste
The high-profile Super Bowl campaign supports Pepsi Zero Sugar’s new recipe, which launched earlier this year. Equipped with a new sweetener system that boosts the sweet taste while reducing caffeine, the brand hopes to seriously contend with its historically sweeter-tasting competitors like Coke Zero Sugar and Diet Dr. Pepper.
As the zero sugar movement in the beverage sector continues to trend upward, Kaplan says the brand is ready to make a splash.
“This is a critical product for us,” said Kaplan. “This category is a must-win battle for us, and this is where all the growth in cola is really coming from— the zero sugar space. Now that we’ve finally unlocked an advantaged product, we want to put everything against it and make this as great as it can be.”
So, with a new taste comes a slightly different approach to connection, hence swapping out the big musical number with something a little more method—or meta.
Said Kaplan, “As an advertiser and marketer that has done all sorts of things with musicians and actors over the years, we said, ‘Wouldn’t it be fun if we played with that tension and take people on a journey of their craft of acting?’”
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