PepsiCo unveiled six new commercials for its flagship Pepsi
brand and one new spot for Diet Pepsi, most of which will appear
on Sunday's Super Bowl broadcast on NBC. Pepsi has purchased a
total of 5 minutes Sunday, including time during the pregame and
postgame shows. Of the five new spots -- all produced by BBDO
Worldwide -- one builds off one of last year's Pepsi Super Bowl
ads. In it, a security camera catches the Coke truck driver
reaching into a Pepsi cooler. Deion Sanders stars in another
spot with Warner Bros.' Wile E. Coyote. The Sanders spot will
coincide with a planned point-of-purchase display with Pepsi
products to be launched after the game. Other Pepsi ads:
"Frozen Tundra" shows a cold-weather hiker with a Pepsi frozen to
his lips; "Dog Dreams" has a canine barking out commands to his
human master; "Buddy Burger" features a drive-through customer
encountering difficulties; and "Goldfish" chronicles the path of
a determined goldfish seeking a Pepsi. Diet Pepsi's sole spot
features Cindy Crawford turning down a Diet Coke and changing
into an animated heroine to get a Diet Pepsi (THE DAILY). Ad
execs say Pepsi's continuance of its "Nothing Else is a Pepsi"
theme, launched last year, will help establish consistency for
the brand (Stuart Elliott, N.Y. TIMES, 1/24). Pepsi has bought a
total of four minutes during the game itself -- 2:30 in the first
half and 1:30 in the second. USA TODAY's "Super Bowl Ad Watch"
profiles both Pepsi and Anheuser-Busch spots (USA TODAY, 1/24).
"Entertainment Tonight's" Julie Moran previewed the Diet
Pepsi/Crawford spot ("ET," 1/23).
SLICK 50'S GAMBLE: Slick 50, the Houston-based producer of
automotive engine additives, has purchased two 30-second spots,
hoping to reach 18-34 year old men. The spots star actor Rick
Hurst, who played Deputy Cletus on TV's "Dukes of Hazzard"
(HOUSTON CHRONICLE, 1/23).
OTHER SUPER BOWL AD NOTES: Pizza Hut will feature new
Dolphins Coach Jimmy Johnson in a pregame show ad (Michael
Hiestand, USA TODAY, 1/24)....Budweiser premiered their new spots
at their Bud Bowl party last night, with Rob Fitzgerald (Johnny
in the "I love you, man" spots) making an appearance. In the
newest spot, Charlton Heston refuses to give Johnny his Bud
Light, but demonstrates how to "really deliver" his trademark
line (ARIZONA REPUBLIC, 1/24).... George Lazarus reports General
Mills -- which he reported last week wanted to unload its 30-
second fourth quarter spot -- "will probably" still run its Deion
Sanders/Steve Young/Troy Aikman spot for Wheaties in the fourth
quarter (CHICAGO TRIBUNE, 1/24)....Hakeem Olajuwon will appear in
spots for two different companies during the game -- Visa and
Frito Lay. Frito Lay's spot will team Olajuwon with fellow Dream
Team mates Scottie Pippen and David Robinson to promote Fritos.
Visa's ad, in which Olajuwon will appear alone, has not been
released. Visa "is keeping a tight lid" on its theme (HOUSTON
CHRONICLE, 1/24).
AT THESE PRICES, WHO NEEDS FRIENDS? NBC is charging
$600,000 for a 30-second spot in the hour-long "Friends"
following the Super Bowl -- double what the show gets in its
Thursday slot (Steve Hirsch, Bergen RECORD, 1/22).
