Pepsi Max has unveiled its latest, playfully provocative campaign via global independent creative group Special.
The ‘Tastes OK’ campaign builds upon Pepsi Max’s established ‘Tastes Better’ brand platform, drawing attention to what it perceives as a subtle design flaw in the name of its main competitor.
Launching today, 5 February, The OOH-led campaign is supported by a media strategy that also spans print, display, publisher partnerships, an influencer program, and social signs.
Vandita Pandey, chief marketing officer Australia and New Zealand for snacks and beverages at PepsiCo, said, “We have long known that Pepsi Max tastes better than our main competitor and this latest campaign helps us reinforce our position as a challenger brand.
“Australia’s meals are not being done justice, palates across the nation are being deprived, whilst consumers settle for OK.”
Simon Gibson and Nils Eberhardt, creative directors at Special, added: “Getting briefed to work on the ‘Tastes Better’ campaign is exciting and intimidating in equal measure. It’s such a bold and direct line and it’s led to great work in the past, so we all knew we needed to do something that lived up to it.
“Then, our competitor did it for us. We saw an image they put out into the world and noticed something we couldn’t unsee.”
Credits
Client: PepsiCo
Chief marketing officer, Snacks & Beverages: Vandita Pandey
Head of marketing beverages: Susan Press
Marketing manager: Tiana Handel
Brand manager: Candy Wong
Creative agency: Special
Partners/CEO: Lindsey Evans & Cade Heyde
Partners/CCO: Julian Schreiber & Tom Martin
Partner/CSO: Dave Hartmann
Client services director: Richard Sweetman
Creative directors: Simon Gibson & Nils Eberhardt
Team lead: Michelle Braslin
Business director: Maddie Armstrong
Head of stills: Nick Lilley
Integrated producer: Danielle Senecky
Integrated producer: Emily Willis
PR managing director: Alex Bryant
PR account director: Sarah Halpin
Creative strategist: Kate Wilkinson
Media Agency: Trio (PHD Australia)
Group business director: Jen Jones
Planning director: Gilbert Lee
Senior investment manager: Mikeah Irving
Production Company: Pool Collective
Photographer: Danny Eastwood
Production company producer: Zoe Izzard
Retoucher: Mark Sterne
See also: Andre Agassi trades iconic mullet for savings in Special’s latest Uber campaign