Pepsi this NFL season is developing "fresh creative ... featuring all 32 teams on point-of-sale materials and including each Pepsi variety in NFL advertising," according to Natalie Zmuda of AD AGE. The brand will launch a new 30-second ad during tonight's Ravens-Broncos game with "both the 30-second and 60-second versions" set to run during Sunday's games. Pepsi U.S. Portfolio VP/Marketing Angelique Krembs said that the brand "worked closely with the NFL and asked consumers how they felt about different periods of the season." She said that has led the brand to "tell a season-long story." She added that the campaign "will be organized by the call to action, 'Are you fan enough?'" The brand "worked with TBWA/Chiat/Day and Mekanism on the campaign." Pepsi also plans to "feature each of its varieties -- Pepsi, Diet Pepsi, Pepsi Max and Pepsi Next -- throughout the season." Krembs said that the brand's deal with the NFL "is at a trademark level ... but most recently it's chosen to highlight Pepsi Max." Zmuda notes Pepsi this week is "sponsoring the official Kickoff party in Baltimore, as well as launching its 'Parking Lot Hero' bus tour." In the coming weeks, it "will focus on rookies as part of its sponsorship of the Rookie of the Year contest." Point-of-sale materials "promoting Pepsi products, as well as Tostitos, will feature all 32 teams, regardless of whether those teams' stadiums pour Pepsi or Coca-Cola products." Pepsi is one of "almost a dozen NFL sponsors that plan to launch new football-themed creative as part of an effort to position Kickoff Weekend as an advertising event second only to the Super Bowl" (
ADAGE.com, 9/5).
READY FOR LAUNCH: In this week's SPORTSBUSINESS JOURNAL, Terry Lefton reports Bud Light, Microsoft, Verizon and Visa also are "among the league’s partners launching NFL-themed national TV ads." NFL VP/Fan Strategy & Marketing Peter O'Reilly said, "Kickoff will never be the Super Bowl, but it’s become a powerful bookend for the season. When you look at how so many of our partners (are) using it, Kickoff has become another place for those associated with the NFL to be seen.” NFL Senior VP/Sponsorship & Media Sales John Brody: “For our sponsors, it’s become a creative beachhead. Super Bowl is a national holiday, and we’re slowly building another for Kickoff. We’ve got three different P&G brands (Tide, Old Spice and Gillette) launching NFL campaigns" (SPORTSBUSINESS JOURNAL, 9/2 issue).
