Way back in 1975, PepsiCo started the Pepsi Challenge, a national promotion that dared consumers to see which soft drink they prefer in a blind taste test against its main competitor, Coke. It’s been ongoing for years, although to a somewhat smaller degree – but the company is about to bring it back for a new era.
AdAge has reported that the company intends to bring back the Pepsi Challenge for what could be its biggest “socially-led, content-driven initiative ever.” It’s already brought onboard a number of celebrities to help endorse the new promotion through social media, including popular singer Usher, athlete Usain Bolt and tennis superstar Serena Williams.
Instead of doing a routine taste test, however, the Challenges will be issued monthly through social and digital challenge, with the superstars promoting people to “take the challenge” in the hopes of social awareness.
Pepsi’s covered this territory before, with a 2010 promotion called the Pepsi Refresh Project, which encouraged consumers to apply for grants to fund community-driven projects on a monthly basis. It didn’t connect too closely with sales, but Pepsi believes that the Pepsi Challenge will make a much bigger difference this time.
“Pepsi Challenge is an iconic piece of our brand equity and in many ways established our can-do attitude and spirit,” said Kristin Patrick, senior VP and chief marketing officer of PepsiCo Global Beverage Brands, in a company statement. “When we talked to consumers around the globe about what challenge meant to them today, they resoundingly said that it entailed challenging convention and daring to do something differently. We used that sentiment as our inspiration to expand beyond just taste and re-imagine the Pepsi Challenge for new generations, creating this cross-pollination of experiences, events, community and social advocacy, designed to ignite a mindset that challenges the status quo, our fans and ourselves.”
Although details weren’t given on the specific challenges yet, they will involve people like fashion designer Nicola Formichetti in an effort to raise social awareness around the world. PepsiCo has already said that it intends to donate $1 to Liter of Light every time someone uses the #PepsiChallenge hashtag on their social channels.
The challenges will vary, as a later one revolving around sports should include “a collection of unconventional global sporting events and experiences anchored by some of the world’s most beloved sports heroes,” said the statement.
With a collection of TV spots, digital content and other engagement programs, the Pepsi Challenge should easily take off over the next year…and way stronger than it did back in ’75.
