Soda giant Dr Pepper is breaking boredom by encouraging people to inject weirdness into their lives for its latest campaign.
Led by London-based creative agency Pablo, the campaign releases three unconventional commercials that characterize Dr Pepper as a doctor with a soda can for a head.
According to Dr Pepper, the campaign is a response to the latest Harvard Business Review study, which found that 97% of Gen Z admit to doomscrolling — the habit of mindlessly browsing social media feeds and getting exposed to negative news, posts, and interactions.
The Doc’s recommendation? "Try More Weird."
The campaign, which continues Dr. Pepper’s "Try More Weird" launched last year, is supported by dozens of OOH ads across the U.K., with witty messages that change depending on the time of day that people take their breaks.
“A spoonful of weird helps the Monday go down,” one OOH ad reads at the start of the work week while, in the early afternoon, it will display “Liberally apply to the tongue, face and 2pm meetings.”
Executing omnichannel marketing for the campaign, Dr Pepper is also releasing creatives across social media, digital platforms, and event-based sampling.
“At Dr Pepper, we believe that ‘weird’ is something magical, energizing, and surprisingly good,” Henry Poynor, creative strategy director at The Coca-Cola Company, said in a statement.
Dr Pepper is known for its memorable taglines, catchy jingles, and "one-of-a-kind" campaigns, creating a unique brand identity that is easily recognizable.
Disrupting Every Day with Weirdness
Starting each video with a “Public Weird Announcement,” Dr Pepper is already setting the tone for the unexpected.
In “Skeleton,” the scene opens with Dr Pepper playing cards with a skeleton — a sign of boredom.
He then quips “What you’re about to see is something worryingly normal. Here, try something weird before it’s too late.”
We then see Dr Pepper watching people riding tiny bicycles. Weird, indeed!
The spot ends with the reveal of a pants-less Dr Pepper ironing his slacks, satisfyingly saying, "Ah, that's the stuff."
In “Sloth,” Dr Pepper rolls into frame reporting, “We interrupt your viewing because, quite frankly, it's boring.”
Then, chaos ensues: the phone rings and a person falls through the ceiling while Dr Pepper says, “Let’s give your eyeballs something weird to try.”
Cue: a chicken with a human arm playing the guitar while screeching.
In “X-Ray,” Dr Pepper opens with the statement “Dr Pepper treats cases of breaktime boredom seriously.” Followed by, “Quickly! Let’s double your dose of weird.”
The scene flashes to a group of musicians. But something is off.
Instead of using actual instruments, they’re using vegetables, like tomato and gourd, resulting in a cacophony of sound.
As the campaign takes viewers to unpredictable twists, Dr Pepper invites everyone to shake up the ordinary and embrace the weirdness around them.
On the other side of the spectrum, Coca-Cola recently released a set of heartwarming spots focusing on the human connection.
Editing by Katherine 'Makkie' Maclang
