Pepsi Wild Cherry courts aging millennials as flavored soda sales pop

Pepsi is introducing the primary devoted marketing campaign for its Wild Cherry variant in three years with an eye fixed on millennials who’re lastly settling down and dwelling the realities of “adulting,” a time period they as soon as satirically used to deride on a regular basis actions like paying payments and grocery buying. Known as “Get Wild,” the hassle acknowledges that what qualifies as “wild” for the cohort in the present day may be very completely different than within the 2000s and 2010s, when millennials had been typically scolded for “killing” a wide range of industries — together with soda.

“Their lives look completely different now than they did 10-20 years in the past, however they nonetheless know easy methods to have enjoyable, they nonetheless know easy methods to indulge,” mentioned Jenny Danzi, senior director of Pepsi Trademark, herself a millennial. “It’s simply that that indulgence appears just a little bit tamer lately.”

The marketing campaign comes on the tail of a wide-ranging Pepsi rebrand final yr in celebration of the delicate drink’s a hundred and twenty fifth anniversary, which introduced a contemporary visible identification to Wild Cherry, akin to packaging blanketed with colourful cherries carrying Pepsi-blue stems. The refresh and a brand new Pepsi pulse motif initially of commercials are current in “Get Wild,” which additionally carries over mainstay ways for the model, akin to nostalgic references to common music.

One spot, “Nursery Rhymez,” depicts a pair of latest dad and mom spontaneously breaking out into Lil Jon and The East Facet Boyz’ party-themed 2002 single “Get Low” whereas attempting to remain quiet sufficient in order to not wake their child. One other, “#1 Fan,” follows the extraordinary pre-game ritual of a sports activities fan set to the driving rhythm of Survivor’s “Eye of the Tiger” solely to disclose his over-the-top antics are for a youth flag soccer sport his baby is competing in.

The advertisements, which had been helmed by director Kate Hollowell and her women-led manufacturing home Epoch Movies, are stay on YouTube now and can debut on nationwide TV as a part of NFL Wild Card Weekend beginning Jan. 13. Pepsi Wild Cherry can be catering to millennials’ digital habits with media buys on social, podcasts and cell gaming. Companions embrace Barstool Sports activities, Betches, the favored “Name Her Daddy” podcast and Sweet Crush Saga.

Successful over millennial girls

Pepsi Wild Cherry is attempting to courtroom favor with a client set that has risen to develop into key gross sales drivers for flavored cola. Millennial girls categorical a very sturdy desire for the class, the model mentioned.

“Inside these millennial households which are driving this potential development, they do skew feminine,” mentioned Danzi. “It’s each girls purchasing for themselves, and ladies are typically the purchaser for the family.”

“Get Wild” places a highlight on women-owned and -targeted media, together with via the Betches partnership, “Name Her Daddy” promoting play and behind-the-scenes work from Epoch Movies. VaynerMedia helped develop the marketing campaign.

On the similar time, “Get Wild” is supposed to hold broad attraction, rolling out in earnest round NFL Wild Card Weekend (Pepsi is a sponsor of the soccer league). Danzi declined to share if there are any Tremendous Bowl plans across the initiative however famous that Pepsi Wild Cherry will stay lively in advertising all through Q1.

“The great thing about discovering an actual human perception, even when it’s constructed from one small section, is that it tends to resonate throughout demographics and transcend audiences,” mentioned Danzi. “[The ads] would possibly’ve been constructed with one particular demographic at its coronary heart, however Pepsi is at all times for everybody and we’re discovering that this marketing campaign is, too.”

Driving sampling

Pepsi can be making its zero-sugar merchandise a North Star as extra shoppers gravitate towards better-for-you beverage choices. The corporate reformulated its zero-sugar drinks, together with Wild Cherry, final yr and promoted the adjustments in a Tremendous Bowl advert.

Beginning with the Wild Card Weekend, shoppers can textual content “WILDCHERRY” to 81234 to get a free Pepsi Wild Cherry. The model since late December has additionally been operating a retail part the place customers who scan Wild Cherry shows at choose retailers can enter for an opportunity to win an expenses-paid journey to the 2025 Wild Card Weekend. The promotion so far has drawn “tens of hundreds of members,” based on Danzi, although the chief didn’t share particular figures.