Key Takeaways:
- Pepsi’s summer campaign brings backyard BBQs and cola together to reinforce its "Food Deserves Pepsi" brand platform.
- It uses real-world takeovers, social content, and retail promos to create an integrated experience.
- Experiential marketing opens the door for digital agencies to craft richer, taste-driven brand stories that leave a lasting impression.
The Pepsi crew is showing up uninvited to your summer shindigs, and they're bringing the drinks.
In its latest push under the “Food Deserves Pepsi” platform, the soda giant rolled out a coast-to-coast takeover of backyard barbecues.
“Grilling Deserves Pepsi: BBQ Crashers” drives the sole (and obvious) point that grilled food tastes better with Pepsi.
Once known for their blue jumpsuits in past stunts, the Pepsi Crashers are now donning Hawaiian shirts and flip-flops as they sneak into cookouts across the country.
Their mission? Replace the competition in the cooler with Pepsi, and then sit back and watch as grill guests enjoy the better sip.
“Pepsi has the bold flavor and refreshing fizz that cuts through the smoky, saucy richness of barbecue favorites, from burgers and hot dogs to steak and more.
As the heat turns up this summer, we’re showing up to make sure every bite is consumed with the perfect sip — an ice-cold Pepsi — otherwise, you’re leaving favor on the table,” JP Bittencourt, Senior VP of Marketing for Sparkling at Pepsi, said in a statement.
True bliss is found when there’s Pepsi in the mix pic.twitter.com/NwMfB1akmP
— Pepsi (@pepsi) May 10, 2025
The campaign includes a mix of English and Spanish content and features multiple TV spots airing nationwide.
It also appears across Pepsi’s YouTube, TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, and X channels.
The lighthearted takeovers are designed to elicit real reactions and reinforce the brand’s message at this time of the season.
By combining face-to-face moments with a strong digital presence, Pepsi is successfully harnessing into the power of experiential marketing.
It's an approach that digital marketing agencies continue to fold into integrated campaigns to deepen emotional connection and drive shareable content.
Best for BBQs
The campaign's hero spot opens with a Pepsi truck full of the BBQ crashers, pulling up in their uniform before stripping down to their summer attire.
The rest of the one-minute ad plays out like a secret mission.
The unexpected guests toss ice-cold Pepsi cans into inflatable tools, where partygoers cool down to have a swim.
Other scenes show the Pepsi's crashers interacting with members of the family, offering toasts to the newly weds that go together like "Pepsi and hotdogs."
There’s no confrontation — just surprise, laughter, and a message that food deserves a cola that enhances flavor.
Apart from the spot, the campaign expands with retail promos through Memorial Day weekend and into July, including:
- $7 off purchases of $35 or more on Instacart from May 18 to 26
- $3 off four participating Pepsi-Cola beverages through national retailers until July 6
“Grilling Deserves Pepsi” builds on a series of recent campaigns that launched in 2024 with “Pepsi Chase Cars” and “Undercover Cups.”
These are the campaigns that I love, they're clever, unexpected, and genuinely fun to watch. I can really feel the wit and creativity in every second.
While those leaned into spectacle, the BBQ Crashers go smaller and more personal, cementing the brand as a partner to intimate gatherings.
Pepsi says its unique citrus-spice flavor profile is what makes it ideal for pairing with grilled fare, whether it’s carne asada, ribs, or burgers.
And with this campaign, it’s betting that the best way to get that message across is by showing up where the flavor is.
