Mtn Dew brings 'Shining'-inspired Super Bowl campaign to social media

Brief:

PepsiCo's Mtn Dew brand is promoting its new sugar-free soda with a Super Bowl campaign that extends to social media apps Instagram, Snapchat and TikTok on Feb. 2, according to a company announcement. Mtn Dew Zero Sugar is featured in a multichannel effort based on the classic horror movie "The Shining."
In an Instagram Story, Mtn Dew will introduce Tony, the imaginary friend who "Shining" character Danny Torrance talks to through his finger. Instagram users can follow his commentary and conversations online during the Super Bowl with the hashtags #MtnDewZeroSugar and #TheShining.
On Snapchat, Mtn Dew will release an augmented reality (AR) filter that lets users of the image-messaging app superimpose themselves into a scene from the soda brand's commercial showing the undead twin girls from the film. Mtn Dew also will host the #AsGoodAsTheOG dance challenge on social video app TikTok that urges users to create videos with its "twin" tool.

Insight:

Mtn Dew's social media push is a significant part of the launch campaign for its Zero Sugar offering, with a centerpiece TV commercial inspired by "The Shining" airing during the Super Bowl, the most-watched live event in the U.S. The strategy likely will help to reach younger audiences who are a key target group for Mtn Dew and who are heavy consumers of second-screening media on mobile devices.

More people plan to watch the big game this year on their phones and connected TV than in the past, according to a recent AdColony report, making social media campaigns more crucial to brands like Mtn Dew.

The campaign uses the social platforms favored by younger viewers, with different approaches tailored to each. The Snapchat AR filter taps into one of the app's most popular features, with daily active users interacting with AR nearly 30 times a day on average. Meanwhile, the TikTok dance challenge looks to capitalize on the growing popularity of the social video app that was downloaded more than 700 million times last year. Hyundai is also supplementing its Super Bowl campaign on the platform.

Social media and mobile devices have changed the way younger audiences watch sports, making them less tolerant of traditional commercial breaks. YouTube has helped to drive a shift toward watching sports highlights on mobile instead of sitting through full games, while Twitter touts its popularity among sports fans who want real-time updates or like to share commentary about live events with other fans.

In response to changing viewer habits and demands from advertisers, the NFL last year asked Fox to reduce the number of commercial breaks, making the Super Bowl broadcast less cluttered, Adweek reported. Fox sold out of its more limited ad inventory in November, and this month announced the addition of two "floating" commercial breaks in response to advertiser demand.