Soda giant Pepsi has launched its latest viral marketing stunt, poking fun at its lead competitor's traditional holiday ads with a series of paparazzi-like photos that exposes Santa's secret.
Launched on social media, the "#SantaSwitched" campaign reveals that Father Christmas, the annual star of Coca-Cola's yearly holiday ads, secretly prefers Pepsi Zero Sugar.
Pepsi's St. Nick seems to be trying to hide his identity like celebrities do when they go out in public with a pair of shades and a black cap — while wearing his recognizable red outfit.
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Adding to the realism, he speaks in a New York accent and has a hard time figuring out how to use his phone.
The guerilla campaign follows his adventures through the streets of the Big Apple, as he pops into a bodega for a quick sip of Pepsi and participates in SantaCon NYC, the city's annual Santa parade.
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In a statement, Pepsi Brand Marketing Head Jenny Danzi emphasized how the campaign rewrites tradition:
"We know Pepsi Zero Sugar is the best-tasting zero sugar cola, and once you try it you'll make the switch, just like Santa did."
In line with the campaign, Pepsi is offering a cash rebate of up to $2.50 for every customer who buys a 20-ounce Pepsi Zero Sugar. All they need to do is text "TASTE" to 81234 until December 31.
Earlier this month, Pepsi also launched a holiday campaign with Shaquille O'Neal, challenging the basketball legend to a bake-off to introduce limited-edition flavor Pepsi Zero Sugar Gingerbread.
The Soda Wars
Pepsi's new stunt positions the famous soda as the holidays' new de facto drink, riffing off of Coca-Cola's holiday campaign at an opportune moment.
Recently, Coke has drawn a considerable amount of criticism for its fully AI-generated Christmas ad, leaving a sour taste in the mouths of consumers.
While Coca-Cola's AI remake of its iconic "Holidays Are Coming" commercial failed to evoke the desired reaction from consumers, Pepsi didn't fail to capitalize on this marketing slip-up, creating a campaign that's both well-timed and relevant.
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This isn't the brand's first time doing this. In 2011, the brand launched a spot that saw Santa rejecting a Coca-Cola at a party.
Meanwhile, Santa was caught sipping Pepsi Max on CCTV in a U.K. spot in 2020.
This aggressive and humorous brand marketing strategy is quite different from Coca-Cola's, which usually centers around family and community celebrations.
Brands that want to go viral can certainly learn a lot from Pepsi's marketing playbook.
