Pepsi’s Latest Stunt: Smuggling Pepsi into Restaurants
Pepsi has been trying to crack Coca-Cola’s monopoly at certain fastfood chains, and its latest salvo is a bold move. The company sent out fleets of undercover cops – and cups – to smuggle Pepsi into restaurants that don’t stock it. This stunt was timed to coincide with National Fast-Food Day in the US yesterday.
The Ongoing Theme
Pepsi’s “Every burger deserves Pepsi” is just the latest push for what’s become an ongoing theme that Pepsi has been brandishing almost like it’s a political issue. With its challenger brand status getting tried, it’s having to go to more extreme and less subtle lengths to get attention.
From Subtle to Desperate
Pepsi’s moaning about not being served at places like McDonald’s and Burger King started subtly, with the brand trying to subliminally insert itself in the form of Pepsi-shaped optical illusions in fastfood packaging. Those ads raised a smile. But it got more personal (and juvenile) when it started poking the fun at the Coke logo – specifically the fact that word ‘Coke’ contains the letters ‘OK’.
The Latest Campaign
The latest campaign feels like the most desperate yet, showing comic Pepsi cops swooping on fastfood restaurants to swipe customers’ drinks and replace them with Pepsi cunningly disguised in cups bearing redesigns of famous fastfood logos. The McDonald’s golden arches become golden ‘P’s, Wendy’s red hair is now streaked with Pepsi blue and the Burger King logo is simply altered to read ‘This is Pepsi’.
But Does it Work?
While the campaign is clearly tongue and cheek and all a bit of fun, it doesn’t tell us anything about why Pepsi is supposed to make burgers taste better. And it’s not like customers are themselves trying to smuggle the forbidden Coke alternative into restaurants. The Coca-Cola vs Pepsi advertising war has almost all been one way, and to date there’s still only one time that Pepsi trolled Coca-Cola and actually made us laugh.
Conclusion
Pepsi’s latest stunt is a bold move, but it remains to be seen whether it will pay off. The company is clearly trying to get attention and crack Coca-Cola’s monopoly, but it’s not clear whether this campaign will resonate with customers.
FAQs
Q: Why is Pepsi trying to smuggle its products into restaurants?
A: Pepsi is trying to crack Coca-Cola’s monopoly at certain fastfood chains and get its products stocked in more restaurants.
Q: What is the latest campaign by Pepsi?
A: The latest campaign by Pepsi involves sending undercover cops – and cups – to smuggle Pepsi into restaurants that don’t stock it, and replacing customers’ drinks with Pepsi disguised in cups bearing redesigns of famous fastfood logos.
Q: Does Pepsi’s campaign actually make a point about why its products are better?
A: No, the campaign doesn’t really make a point about why Pepsi is supposed to make burgers taste better. It’s more of a lighthearted and humorous approach.
