Pepsi is backing its third consecutive sponsorship of the Super Bowl Halftime Show with a contest that offers winners a place on the field in front of performer Katy Perry.
The “Hype Your Hometown” promotion supporting its Pepsi brand asks consumers to submit photos and videos showing how they will “Get Hyped For Halftime.” Overall, 25 winners — all from the same hometown — will get to be on the field at University at Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Ariz., during halftime. A grand-prize winner receives a “halftime show party and experience.”
Adam Harter, Pepsi vice president of consumer engagement, said entries will be judged on originality, creativity and embodiment of the Pepsi “Hyped For Halftime” campaign.
Marketing support will include dedicated TV ads on NFL games, which started with NBC’s Thanksgiving Day Seattle-San Francisco game, with a 60-second spot of country star Blake Shelton, who was airlifted to the USS Lexington for a recent concert for veterans and their families. There also will be digital, social and point-of-sale efforts. Support in the Phoenix market will include out-of-home and transit wraps, along with local retail tie-ins.
“We’re being ambitious, but we want Pepsi to be the most talked-about brand before, during and after the game,” Harter said.
As for objectives, beyond generating incremental retail display and sales? “When consumers talk about Super Bowl XLIX, we want them to see Pepsi is making their football experience better,” Harter said. “A large piece of that is social media-based, but we also have to make sure we’re driving volume and share for our key retailers.”
