PepsiCo for this year's Super Bowl has purchased a 30-second spot to "introduce LIFEWTR, its first pricier 'premium' water brand, which is positioned to compete" with Coca-Cola's Smartwater brand, according to Jennifer Maloney of the WALL STREET JOURNAL. PepsiCo this month is "beginning national distribution of LIFEWTR, priced at around $2.70 for a 1-liter bottle." Coca-Cola "hasn’t announced its Super Bowl plans" yet. But a Coca-Cola spokesperson said that the company "isn’t planning ads for either Dasani or smartwater." The LIFEWTR ad, called "Inspiration Drops," shows art "appearing on buildings and sidewalks as raindrops fall, while an adapted version of John Legend’s 'Love Me Now' plays" (WSJ.com, 1/24).
CELEBRITY SHOTS: ADWEEK's Kristina Monllos noted Lexus yesterday "released a 60-second extended version of its Super Bowl spot, 'Man and Machine,' which features freestyle dancer Lil Buck, narration by actress Minnie Driver and Sia's latest single, 'Move Your Body.'" A 30-second version of the ad, which is a "showcase for the new Lexus LS and LC, will run during the game" (ADWEEK.com, 1/23). Meanwhile, ADWEEK's Christine Birkner reported actor John Malkovich, who recently "appeared in a short film for Squarespace, will also star in the brand's Super Bowl ad." The 30-second spot will mark Squarespace's "fourth appearance" in the Super Bowl (ADWEEK.com, 1/23).
GLASS HALF FULL: AD AGE's E.J. Schultz wrote execs at Yellow Tail wine, while exploring a possible Super Bowl ad, discovered that A-B InBev's "exclusive category ad rights with Fox covered not just beer, but all of alcohol, shutting out wine brands." So Yellow Tail and its media agency, Havas Media, N.Y., are "executing individual local ad buys across 70 TV markets, including the top 30." As a result, an estimated 85% of the more than 100 million people "expected to tune into the game will have a chance" to see Yellow Tail's 30-second ad (ADAGE.com, 1/23).
