Powerade's Fun 'Workout Billboards' Will Really Make You Sweat

via Ad Week

Climbing wall, punching bag and more

Billboards don't usually ask a lot of you, beyond a cursory glance. But these Powerade boards from Ogilvy Berlin put you right to work.

They're more like exercise installations than billboards. One of them features a scrolling climbing wall; another invites you to punch it as hard as you can. And all of them will make you work up a thirst that Powerade can then quench.

Your move, Ikea. Via Ads of the World.

Click to view

Pepsi Max debuts 'Genius', its first ever global brand campaign, with 'Drone Football' video

via The Drum

Click to view video

Pepsi Max has unveiled its first ever global brand campaign which sets to underline ‘Genius’ in a series of videos and experiences.

The socially-led global campaign was launched with the premiere of 'Drone Football' - the first of the content-led push which sees a group of friends play their weekly five-a-side match in a tech-heavy arena. 

Offering a glimpse of the future of football, the pitch was transformed with over 30,000 reactive LED lights installed into the surrounding landscape and a futuristic drone referee who even handed out yellow cards for rough play.

Kristin Patrick, senior vice president and chief marketing officer of PepsiCo global beverage brands, said: “We believe that the most exciting experiences don’t just happen - they’re created. The ‘Genius' campaign will show experiences that are elevated and made more exciting when something unexpected happens.

“In the case of 'Drone Football,' our first TV and digital ad under this new campaign, we’ve taken something that’s already exciting - a pickup game of football among friends - and elevated it by adding in surprising twists, like a drone that delivers a unique football, and light effects that at first surprise the footballers and then make their game even more exciting than it might have been."

Sebastian Micozzi, head of marketing and innovation at PepsiCo, added: “Pepsi Max now accounts for more than half of the brand's value in the UK, an achievement that was down to a rigourous and innovative digital marketing approach.

“We are hugely excited to be a part of the global 'Genius' platform launch - a campaign that we know will build on the success of last year through the creation of exciting digital content that provides consumers with entertaining moments and ingenious new experiences.”

The slot was directed by Scott Lyon and was captured in Barcelona with local players. The series be broadcast both digital and through traditional TV viewing.

Ad of the Day: Coca-Cola Embraces the Fist Bump and Gets Serious About True Friendship

via AdWeek

Showing teens how not to be cruel at 'crossroads moments'

Coca-Cola has embraced a useful visual shorthand for friendship—the fist bump—in its new marketing in Latin America. But that's just the beginning of a campaign that talks frankly to teens about stepping up for friends in difficult moments.

The work, by Pereira & O'Dell, includes Web films, social activation, mobile, print, TV, radio, packaging and out-of-home. The fist bump is being employed most notably within Coke's iconic white ribbon on a red background—it will even be on the packaging, and on merchandise including T-shirts and iPhone cases. (This isn't the first reworking of the white ribbon—Ogilvy won a Grand Prix at Cannes in 2012 for its own version of it.)

The broader Pereira & O'Dell campaign focuses on friendship by framing it against its opposite—the cruelty, loneliness and isolation that can be worse than ever nowadays because of cyberbullying. It's a theme Coke tried to tackle on the Super Bowl. But that work, with its grand visual metaphor for spreading good vibes online, felt a bit removed from the real social difficulties teens face. By contrast, this new work feels fresh and immediate.

The campaign suggests that shared moments offer a sense of identity and belonging. And in three short Web films (two have been released so far), high schoolers step up for their friends at crucial times—when it's uncomfortable, and requires bravery, to do so.

"The Rumor" is about a breakup and some scandalous gossip that ensues:

Click here to view

"Something Unexpected" deals with dating and an embarrassing moment in class:

Click here to view

"Coca-Cola is shedding light on what we're referring to as 'crossroad moments.' These are the times when friends can choose to step up for a friend in need selflessly," says P.J. Pereira, chief creative officer of Pereira & O'Dell. "We hope these scenarios inspire conversation among teens and put a spotlight on how we can choose not to be cruel to another human being, especially with words."

The campaign calls for teens to show not just friendship but "true friendship." The hashtag is #VerdaderoAmigo. The insight is that a true friend is the most valuable commodity at a time when cruelty is everywhere.

There is a TV spot as well, showing another moment of friendship in a time of crisis:

Click here to view

The stories are well told and memorable, and feel like they might actually have an effect on behavior, even if the fist bumps and product integrations at the end feel a little blatantly commercial.

One Direction's "Clouds" is the featured theme music across the campaign. The band will also appear in Coke print ads and Vines. The brand is also working with MTV on short documentaries about digital influencers and their own crossroad moments. Finally, the campaign will also feature Vines, print and a choose-your-own-adventure interactive video staring soccer players such as Javier "Chicharito" Hernández and Raúl Jimenez.

Print work and credits below:

Tiesto Partners With 7UP to Give Aspiring Artists a "Shot" at Stardom

via Your EDM

esto has partnered with 7up to give new artists a chance in the limelight. The only catch? You don’t actually have to be a DJ.

The Australian DJ competition, Your Shot, is making an expansion to the United States and over the next year will follow 30 artists as they train, practice and compete for the chance to play at next year’s Ultra Music Festival.

When announcing the event exclusively through Billboard, Tiesto explained the concept of the show:

“It takes the idea of the DJ competition and turns it on its head. This contest really provides aspiring DJs with an opportunity to realize their dreams. Many times people don’t know how or where to get started with DJ’ing, but the great thing about Your Shot is that, win or lose, they get a platform to learn, grow and achieve great things as long as they are focused and dedicated.” -Tiesto

While in theory the show seems like a great platform, the fact that no previous experience is required makes the concept hard to swallow. Instead of focusing on already working artists, the show will take an American Idol approach and risks being more about personalities, not musical skills.

Only time will tell if this show will have a real impact on an artist’s career. You can check out the trailer here: Your Shot USA

In Pictures: Pepsi Max enlists RPM for 'twisted genius' experience

via Event Magazine

Pepsi Max teamed up with agency RPM to create a 'twisted genius' nightclub-bingo experience at Shoreditch's Village Underground on Wednesday night (22 April).

The event marked the launch of the brand's new 200ml and 300ml glass bottles, and it forms part of a campaign by Pepsi Max’s manufacturer Britvic.

Upon entering the underground venue, on-trade industry guests were greeted with an immersive Pepsi Max experience, starting with a performance from an MC.

The main event of the night was a fusion of ‘Rebel Bingo’ – a combination of clubbing, number calling and a stage show – and ‘The Max Night Ballers’ – a freestyle basketball game.

Three rounds of the bingo-basketball fusion were played, hosted by mixologist James Burger.

The Pepsi Max bar provided guests with a taste of the bottled drink, alongside vermouth, brandy, tequila and bourbon. 

RPM set the ‘twisted genius’ theme with a twisted bottle installation, sports netting and chains, meanwhile brand imagery was displayed throughout the venue.

Jo Spencer, brand director at Britvic said: "The event perfectly complemented the fresh and modern design of the new Pepsi Max glass bottle. It struck an ideal balance between providing fun entertainment and information on the new glass bottle to our key on-trade community."

Dom Robertson, managing director, RPM added: "We wanted to design an experience for the decision makers of the industry to come and enjoy the new product and last night was ideal."

 

Honest Tea Adds Watermelon Lemonade to “Summer Refreshers” Line

via Bevnet

(Bethesda, Md.)—April 22, 2015—Honest Tea is excited to announce the addition of Watermelon Lemonade to its, organic “Summer Refresher” lineup. Watermelon Lemonade joins Original Lemonade, Mango Lemonade, Mint Limeade and Half & Half Lemonade & Tea exclusively at Whole Foods Market® locations starting May 2015.  The Summer Refreshers are sweetened with Fair Trade Certified™ sugar and are 70 calories per 8 fl. oz. serving.

“Watermelon is the most consumed melon in the U.S.*, so we knew it would be the perfect addition to our Summer Refresher line,” said co-founder and TeaEO Seth Goldman.   “The notes of ripe watermelon, and even a hint of rind, make our Watermelon Lemonade ideal for any picnic, party or playground.”

Honest Tea’s sugar purchases for the Summer Refresher line will benefit fair trade sugar farmers in Paraguay. The fair trade premiums help pay for community development projects chosen by farmers such as farming equipment, healthcare infrastructure, schools , and more.  Honest Tea was the first company to bring to market a Fair Trade Certified bottled tea in 2003 and in 2011 transitioned all of its teas to fair trade certification.

“Honest Tea shares our values and passion for high quality, responsibly-sourced ingredients, so partnering with them to develop the Summer Refreshers – from concept to trial to label and production – was a natural fit,” said Dwight Richmond, global grocery purchasing coordinator for Whole Foods Market. “We’re excited to offer our shoppers a brand new line of lemonades and teas made with both fair trade tea and fair trade sugar, so they can feel even better about enjoying their favorite summer flavors.”

Honest Tea’s limited-edition Summer Refreshers, which first debuted last summer, will be available in 32 fl. oz. glass bottles through the summer for $2.49 per bottle.

Coming Soon: Pepsi 'Limon' With Real Lime Juice

via AdAge

Line Extension Will Target Hispanics

Pepsi will soon launch a new cola made with real sugar and lime juice that is aimed squarely at Hispanics. The line extension, called Pepsi Limon, will hit stores beginning May 18 in Chicago, California, Arizona, New Mexico and Texas.

If it sounds familiar, that's because PepsiCo has tried similar products in the past around the world. A few years ago in the U.S., the marketer sold Pepsi Lime and Diet Pepsi Lime, but those versions have since been discontinued, according to a spokeswoman. Pepsi Twist is still available in Latin America. Diet Coke sells alime version that includes citric acid.

Pepsi Limon is made using real lime juice and cane sugar, unlike the previous U.S. version that was artificially flavored. The idea came from an internal Latino/Hispanic employee group called Adelante, whose mission is to create a diverse culture within PepsiCo.

"They told me we need lime," said Al Carey, CEO for PepsiCo Americas Beverages, who teased the launch at a beverage industry function in Chicago on Tuesday called The Beverage Forum. So, the company came up with a lime-flavored Pepsi that resembled other versions that have been previously tried, he said. But the Adelente group told him, "No, we need real lime juice in the product," he recalled.

The resulting product contains 2% real lime juice. The launch will be supported by in-store marketing, radio ads, PR, digital and sampling, according to the spokeswoman. The ad agency handling the line extension is SA Studios Global, while PMK BMC is leading PR.

"I will not be surprised if this ends up becoming a very big success in those markets," Mr. Carey said.

Ideas from Adelente have a pretty good track record. According to a 2011 story posted on hispanicprblog.com, the group has played a role in bringing several PepsiCo products to the market, including Flamin' Hot Cheetos and Tapatio-flavored Doritos and Ruffles.

As Tea's Popularity Grows, Pure Leaf's First Ad Plays Up Authenticity

via AdWeek

As consumer interest in tea grows—four out of five U.S. consumers drink tea,according to the Tea Council of the USA—brands like PepsiCo and Unilever's Pure Leaf have a big opportunity to drive awareness. And that's what Pure Leaf is doing, with the debut of its first television spot on Monday. 

The new ad, by the brand's creative shop Anomaly, is part of a push by Pure Leaf to highlight its product as "real, leaf-brewed tea" compared to competitors who add "unnecessary ingredients." 

"We re-launched the Pure Leaf brand in 2012, and we've seen significant growth since then," said Linda Bethea, senior director of marketing for the Pepsi Lipton Tea Partnership. "The tea category has been growing, and we know there's a huge consumer trend for realness and authenticity, and that's exactly what Pure Leaf is offering." 

That growth, according to Beverage Digest data, shows bottled and canned teas up 3.5 percent in the past year. PepsiCo, with brands like Lipton and Brisk as well as Pure Leaf, has a 40 percent share of the category, up 7.9 percent from 2013. 

The Pure Leaf ad was designed to showcase how the brand grows its leaves and brews its tea through the journey of one individual leaf in 15- and 30-second spots. The campaign also includes print and digital, and the brand has a redesigned website. 

Pure Leaf is also partnering with Top Chef judge Gail Simmons, who has created recipes to go along with the tea. 

Check out the spot.

Pepsi Challenge 2015: Nicola Formichetti Kicks off Can Design Contest

via Brand Channel

One thing Pepsi never did with its original Pepsi Challenge was alter the design of its iconic can. But it’s a whole new world now, and even the Pepsi container is no longer off limits.

In fact, in the new version of the Pepsi Challenge, the brand is giving consumers the “extraordinary opportunity to re-envision” the can with their own designs in the “Live For Now” Design Challenge, according to a PepsiCo press release.

The company has been promising a whole raft of culturally relevant, digitally oriented initiatives under the Pepsi Challenge for the rest of the year, since it launched a revival of the theme of its old taste-test campaign in March.

The can design challenge follows the Pepsi x Liter of Light “Ignite the Light” tour in which world-renowned fashion designer and creative director Nicola Formichetti—who rose to fame as the stylist who helped catapult Lady Gaga to fame—is challenging individuals to design art installations inspired by light.

In line with PepsiCo’s corporate commitment to “performance with purpose,” the campaign has a pro-social element. Using the #PepsiChallenge hashtag will also trigger a $1 donation by the company to Liter of Light, which will help bring environmentally-friendly, inexpensive and easy-to-produce lights to underdeveloped areas.

Formichetti is leading the charge to inspire all customers, not just designers and creatives, to digitally apply their own designs to a blank Pepsi can, with the only stipulation that the logo must be intact.

Pepsi will accept submissions through May 13, at which point a judging panel that includes PepsiCo’s chief design officer Mauro Porcini will help determine the winning can design.

“We wanted one of our first global challenges to connect with this bold creative class directly,” Kristin Patrick, SVP and CMO of Pepsi, stated in the release.

“We’re turning over our most cherished piece of equity and our most visible piece of real estate—the facade of the Pepsi can—to consumers around the world to reimagine,” added Patrick. “We can’t wait to see the results.”

Below, watch how Formichetti kicked off the Pepsi Challenge creative program with a “Liter of Light” art installation in Hong Kong: Click here to view

Chevy Runs Digital Video Ads in Print (Yes, You Read That Right)

via Ad Age

Here's something you don't see every day: Chevrolet bought print ads to show off its digital videos.

The ad, which promotes Chevy's Colorado truck, appears in the May issue of certain subscriber issues of Esquire and Popular Mechanics. And it allows readers to watch one of three short videos, which were created by Chevy's creative agency Commonwealth//McCann.

Some 10,000 subscribers each to Esquire and Popular Mechanics -- those considered likely Colorado buyers -- received copies with a video player embedded inside the print page.

"We had these awesome digital films that we created for the Colorado launch and we thought, why not ... put video in print," said Jill Mida, manager-Chevrolet Truck Advertising.

Chevy "leveraged all of Hearst's consumer data" to determine which 20,000 readers fit the profile of a Colorado buyer and should receive the ad, according to Ms. Mida.

She wouldn't disclose how much the ad cost, but did say, "the unit is obviously expensive."

The video-in-print ads are one part of Chevy's marketing push around the Colorado. Print ads for the Colorado (that don't include video) are also running in Men's Health, Sports Illustrated, Backpacker, Surfer, Bike and Dirt Rider magazines. It's already run TV commercials as well as digital ads.

This isn't the first time a magazine has put video in print. Back in 2009,Entertainment Weekly, which is owned by Time Inc., used Americhip to put a video ad for CBS in a print issue. That ad showed off CBS's fall lineup.

Executives at Hearst, owner of Esquire and Popular Mechanics, said the idea for putting video in print sprang from a meeting in which they discussed promoting the videos on their magazines' websites.

"But we got to talking further about having it run in" the magazine, said according to Jack Essig, publisher director and chief revenue at Hearst Men's Group. "We're always looking for innovative ways for print to come alive. This was one of those aha moments."

A company called Americhip created the technology that allows the videos to play in print.

Esquire has carved out a reputation for trying new technologies in the print and the digital spaces. Under Editor-in-Chief David Granger, the magazine has experimented with so-called electronic paper as well as a weekly tablet edition and paywalls around certain articles.

Coke digital signage brings some cool summer color to Oz

via Digital Signage Today

Coca-Cola and digital signage teamed up to bring some added color and a cool drink to the hot Australian summer.

JCDecaux and Coca-Cola recently won the award for "Best Use of a Special Build" as part of the Australian Outdoor Media Association’s Q4 Creative Collection Competition, according to an announcement from JCDecaux. The winning campaign made use of a novel digital signage screen/Coke dispenser to deliver audiences a cold drink during Australia’s hot summer months, according to the outdoor advertiser's website: 

Despite being one of the most well-known brands in the world, Coca-Cola wanted to drive the knowledge and popularity of their global brand in an increasingly hard to reach youth market. To engage this audience and get them talking, drastic changes to the original can were made — the cans shrunk to a smaller 250 ml size and became available in six new colors.

Through social media and the use of the #colouryoursummer hashtag, the changes to the brand were shared and drove momentum behind the word-of-mouth campaign. 

To promote this campaign UM, Coca-Cola and JCDecaux teamed up to create a first in Australian OOH with a Digital, Fridge Dispenser all in one panel. The multiplatform approach played into the social media hype by the use of a hashtag #colouryoursummer. 

By heading up to one of the Innovate panels located in multiple locations across Brisbane, Melbourne and Sydney, the digital screen engaged by asking the audience to interact and rotate the colorful cans located on the screen — the reward was an ice cold Coke in one of the new smaller-sized cans. 

Watch the digital signage drink dispenser in action in the video below: (Click to view)

Coke Bottles With First Names Return

via USA Today

If you can't find your name on a Coke bottle this go round, it's probably because you've got an odd-ball name.

Or, more specifically, you simply don't have one of the 1,000 most popular names in the nation.

Beginning May 1, Coca-Cola will bring back its wildly-successful "Share a Coke" promotion featuring bottles with familiar first names featured front and center within the iconic, red and white Coca-Cola label. The promotion, which lasts through the summer, will feature first names appearing on hundreds of millions of 20-ounce bottles of Coca-Cola, Diet Coke and Coke Zero.

For Coca-Cola, it's all about getting its soft drinks into the hands of young consumers who the cola giant hopes will flood social media with images of themselves drinking Coca-Cola beverages with their names imprinted across the labels. The numbers are convincing. Even as soft drink sales have been on the steady decline, during last year's promotion, Coca-Cola saw its largest-ever year-over-year growth in the 20-ounce package — more than 19%.

"We saw an incredible amount of self expression last year with Share a Coke," says Evan Holod, Coca-Cola brand director. In fact, when word of the promotion first began to spread last year, Share a Coke was the No. 1 global trending topic last July 29.

Which may explain why Coca-Cola executives are quadrupling the size of the promotion from 250 first names last year to 1,000 this year. Also, for the first time, U.S residents also will be able to customize and purchase Share a Coke bottles online — though for a serious premium. These 8-ounce glass bottles, with personalized labels that are heat-shrunk onto them, sell for $5 each — with free shipping for those purchasing five or more.

Despite the steep price-tag, Coca-Cola's goal is less about profiting from the venture and more about coaxing younger consumers to snap photos of themselves with their personalized bottles — then passing the images along via social media outlets like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Snapchat.

"Teens love to be famous," says Jennifer Healan, group director of integrated marketing content at Coca-Cola. "To teens, it's all about me, me, me. Think of all the selfies. Now, you can take a selfie with your name on a Coke bottle."

Last year's best-selling Coca-Cola bottle name: Chris.

The names that — based on third-party research — Coca-Cola expects to be 2015's best-sellers: Michael and Jessica.

One brand expert says that Coke's got this promotion right. "This fits perfectly with young people's desire both to be unique and to be part of the crowd," says brand consultant Tracey Riese. "Personalizing Coke — making an iconic brand all about us — is sort of the ultimate selfie."

Even then, Riese warns, these same younger consumers are increasingly wise to Coke's marketing ways and increasingly concerned about eating healthier. So, she warns, "targeting younger consumers with a promotion designed to increase their consumption of these products could potentially lead to a backlash."

NBA Ditches Coke for Pepsi After a 30-Year Partnership

via Ad Week

Pepsi gets beverage rights for all 4 major sports leagues

By severing Coca-Cola's nearly 30-year relationship with the NBA, PepsiCo will achieve a clean marketing sweep of the four major professional sports leagues this fall.

Under the five-year deal, PepsiCo will become the official food and beverage company of the NBA, WNBA, NBA D-League and USA Basketball and will control beverage rights for the NFL, MLB, NHL and NBA. Coke will not be an NBA sponsor for the first time since 1986.

By adding the NBA, Pepsi definitely wins this round of the cola wars, said John Sicher, editor of Beverage Digest.

"In any marketing tool chest, there are lots of different tools—player deals, big deals," Sicher said. "Today, PepsiCo took over one important tool in the sports marketing tool chest."

Other factors drove the deal, which covers both the U.S. and China, according to Emilio Collins, the NBA's evp of global marketing partnerships.

During negotiations, PepsiCo offered the NBA a chance to work with salty snacks inlcuding Doritos and Ruffles, as well as beverages like Mountain Dew, Aquafina and Brisk.

"The level of enthusiasm across their broad portfolio of brands was really second to none," Collins said.

"One of the most compelling aspects of this relationship is their incredible commitment to activation," Collins added. "Across not only the brands, but also in aligning with youth, we are working on a number of youth initiatives."

Coke won't be out of the NBA picture completely. Teams and players—like Sprite endorser LeBron James—can still cut their own deals with either Coke or Pepsi. But teams tend to sign with league sponsors.

Omnicom Group's BBDO handles the Mountain Dew brand while OMD handles media planning and buying for a variety of brands. PepsiCo spokeswoman Jennifer Ryan said the deal will not affect current agencies.

The deal between PepsiCo and the NBA was first reported Monday by SportsBusiness Journal and Beverage Digest. In a statement, PepsiCo CEO Indra Nooyi said she wants to "redefine the meaning of sports marketing partnerships."