The Lundqvist campagin builds upon the goalie-focused marketing that Pepsi has carved out at the league level
Pepsi is rolling out a new Northeast region campaign with Rangers G Henrik Lundqvist for its Pepsi Zero Sugar product, the first time the brand has ever done a local campaign with an NHL goalie. Pepsi, which has been an NHL league-level sponsor in North America since ’06, signed a five-year renewal with the league in ’18 that gives it rights in the non-alcoholic, sports nutrition and savory snack categories. In ’18, Pepsi also signed a new deal with MSG to become the exclusive non-alcoholic beverage and snack partner for all related venues, as well as all of its sports franchises including the Rangers and Knicks. The new campaign with Lundqvist, titled “Stop Everything,” builds upon the goalie-focused marketing that Pepsi has carved out at the league level. For the last three seasons, Pepsi Zero Sugar has been the presenting sponsor of the previous night’s best shutout, which is highlighted by the league and NHL Network. Pepsi Sports Senior Marketing Manager Melissa Duhaime said that the company has seen an uptick in national awareness around the Pepsi Zero Sugar product alongside that league-level campaign, something it wanted to further leverage locally. “Working with MSG as a whole thus far has been phenomenal, and we really saw an opportunity to drive volume and distribution in the entire New York DMA,” she said.
WINNER WINNER: Campaign creative with Lundqivst will be featured across the N.Y. area on outdoor advertisements and across radio and digital promotions. Limited-edition six-packs of Pepsi, Pepsi Zero Sugar and Diet Pepsi featuring art of Lundqivst on them will be sold across N.Y. boroughs and in nearby Westchester. There will also be a digital content series starring Lundqvist. In addition, Pepsi will run an instant winner consumer sweepstakes giving fans the opportunity to win prizes that include meeting Lundqvist and skating at MSG. Pepsi will also run in-arena marketing around the contest, letting anyone who purchases a Pepsi Zero Sugar at the arena enter the contest on-site. The campaign and sweepstakes are set to run for the remainder of March. Pepsi will also have a separate league-level campaign and sweepstakes that will run alongside the Stanley Cup Playoffs and Final.
