Pepsi rides O's coattails with new $1.2 billion ad campaign

[Cash_thatswhatiwant]

Surely you've seen them. There's one that says "Fabulous" on I-35W North just before you get downtown. I saw one that says "Oh Boy" at a downtown St. Paul bus stop. One even takes up an entire LRT train, though I couldn't quite catch what it said (anyone?).
With their robin egg and cotton candy backdrops, you'd think Pepsi was having a baby. And that's not exactly untrue. The sugar vendor has indeed given birth: to a new ad campaign. Its slogan? "Refresh Everything."

Having taken up with a new ad agency last fall, the company is reportedly set to spend $1.2 billion on the "Refresh Everything" campaign over the next three years.

Hence the blanketing of the Cities in its baby announcements.

Pepsi's message hasn't evolved all that much from the days when Michael Jackson hawked the soda as "Choice of a New Generation." There's one glaring omission though. Whereas Jackson openly endorsed the soda, Pepsi is using its "Refresh Everything" logo (which looks half Nike swoosh, half Obama logo) as if Pepsi was some kind of benevolent, direct vessel to the prez.

Pepsi's website (as well as YouTube) allow you to post your own video addresses to the President Obama. "What would you say to the man who is about to refresh America?" the site says, flanked by images of Eva Longoria Parker, will.i.am and others.

"No matter where you are or who you voted for, we want to hear from you."

Thanks, Pepsi.

http://blogs.citypages.com/food/2009/01/pepsi_spends_12.php

[BrklynLiberal]

1. Guess it a sign of how desperate they must be...cashing in on the Presidential election!

[Thrill]

2. I believe their CEO is rumored to be on the list for Commerce Secretary

How Ironic

[babylonsister]

3. Every time I see their logo, I think of Obama, not Pepsi.

Could be because I don't drink soda?

[tulsakatz]

4. I drink Pepsi every day......

...just because I like it. I also look at their symbol on the bottle every day but not once has it ever reminded me of Obama's symbol. Yes, they are similar but the blue in the Pepsi symbol is more of a navy blue, the Obama symbol is a lighter blue color......

[Harry Monroe]

5. I don't care how much you dress it up

Pepsi still sucks. I can't stand the stuff. It's like putting lipstick on a pig. (I'm a lifelong Coca-Cola drinker and can always tell when someone attempts to pass off that vile stuff as Coke)

[Sultana]

8. Coke > Pepsi

[rosesaylavee]

6. Do they really think we are that stupid? Well, yes.

I wish they would spend that money on something that would actually get them more customers. I am comforted to think that vendors are getting some $ from this campaign so it is helping the economy that way.

Coke drinker here and yes, I saw that first ad and thought what an awful thing to do to the marketing firm who created the logo for Obama. Cretins.

[Sultana]

7. Pepsi stop being such a sharmoot

:D

[jillan]

9. Am I the only one that is pissed off about this?

Their commercials are right out of Obama's playbook.

You would hope that Obama would get a cut of their profits.

[Sultana]

10. NO

[mucifer]

11. That's just creepy.

Multinational corporations shouldn't do that. It should all be separate.

[OhioBlue]

12. my 18 month old

Has seen months of obama lit, stickers, buttons, etc. He can identify them and he knows Obama when he is on TV. I will admit, sometimes he makes as mistake and says "bama" for someone that isn't Obama... but it did strike me funny in the grocery check out yesterday - he looked at the Pepsi logo and said "bama".

[Cheap_Trick]

13. Pepsi's had the SAME logo for quite a few decades now.

Since Pepsi's had a variation on the "globe" since around 1950, one could argue that they were ripped off instead.

Now, if after all these years Pepsi had reversed the colors and put the blue on top, then I could see the point.



Pepsi's "Refresh Everything" campaign is an attempt to once again emphasize their line of soft drinks. Over the last decade or so, our focus has drifted towards the so-called "New Age Beverages" (tea, Sobe, Gatorade, Aquafina, Frappuccino, etc..).

[Drunken Irishman]

14. I'm not seeing it.

I mean, is it really that hard to believe it wasn't a ripoff?

Think about it.

Pepsi's colors have always been red, white and blue. Even before Obama came along.

Pepsi's logo has been a circle for how long now? Even before Obama came along.

The color scheme is the same as it was in the old logo (red on top, white in the middle, blue on the bottom).

The swoosh of white has been in the circle since they went to the circle years ago.

I guess I just don't see it. Someone help me out here.