Pepsi MAX has today announced the launch of its latest integrated campaign, #BetterWithPepsi. Built on a major mealtime mistake, that too many people forget the drink. Pepsi’s new campaign playfully calls out the ultimate oversight, because a great meal without a Pepsi MAX? That’s criminal!
Through a disruptive multi-channel rollout Pepsi MAX is hitting the streets, the screens, and your social feeds with a simple message: if your bites aren’t chased by sips of Pepsi, you’re leaving taste on the table. By bridging the gap between a standard meal and total satisfaction, the campaign reminds consumers that settling for food with a standard drink choice, or none at all, is a compromise they don’t have to make.
In hopes of putting a screeching halt to eating tasty food without Pepsi, the latest iteration of the brand’s #BetterWithPepsi platform dramatises the idea that some meals are too important to go without a perfect partner. Because, ultimately, the combination of maximum taste and no sugar, that Pepsi MAX offers, ensures the perfect meal accompaniment.
The centrepiece of the campaign is a high-energy social film, shot in various locations in the UK, designed to put an end to incomplete meals. Combining humorous, fast-paced scenes, shot by award-winning Trigger Happy TV director, Sam Cadman, the film brings a tongue-in-cheek ‘food crimes’ concept to life, including authentic CCTV and bodycam style footage that highlights the thrill of the chase.
From Drive-thru orders without a drink, to lunchtime snacks bereft of a beverage, the Pepsi Patrol Squad track down these ‘crimes’ and come to the rescue with delicious Pepsi MAX, delivered just in time to help create a satisfying combo with the meal in question.
Matthew Watson, chief creative officer for Sips & Bites Europe, PepsiCo, said: “A meal without a Pepsi MAX?! A culinary crime of the highest degree, if you ask us. So, we hit the streets and chased down some unsuspecting “perpetrators” who forgot to pair their delicious meal with a Pepsi Max. After all, it’s criminal to wash down your meal without an ice cold refreshing Pepsi MAX, right?!”
Steven Hind, CMO Beverages, UK&I at PepsiCo, said: “Pepsi MAX has always been about maximum taste, and our latest #BetterWithPepsi campaign sees us take that often-overlooked satisfaction to a wealth of tasty meal moments. By pairing our iconic bold flavour with some of the UK’s favourite meals, we’re ensuring that total enjoyment is never left off the menu again.”
Taking the drama from the screen to the streets, Pepsi MAX is staging a ‘food crime scene’ takeover at London Westfield White City from 9th–22nd March. On Saturday 14th March, an unsuspecting billboard featuring the perfect Pepsi MAX and pizza pairing was robbed of its refreshment overnight; that’s criminal! Shortly after the Pepsi MAX vanished from the billboard, the site transformed into a ‘food crime scene’, complete with Pepsi’s MAX Patrol Squad.
In an unexpected twist, flyers reading ‘missing Pepsi MAX’ were handed out at the scene, doubling as a tactical call to action. Pepsi upped the takeout ante with a craveable combo too good to pass on, giving passers by the chance to claim a FREE Pepsi MAX and slice of cheesy goodness – the ultimate reward for chasing their pizza with a Pepsi.
