Dive Brief:

• Pepsi debuted a campaign that illustrates the sensory aspects of drinking its cola through a focus on original music and its partnership with the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) Champions League, according to a news release.
• The brand tapped footballers Leo Messi and Paul Pogba — both existing ambassadors — as well as two new additions to its roster, Jadon Sancho and Shanice van de Sanden, the UEFA Women's Champions League winner. They star in a "Fizz to Life" short film backed by a custom song, "Rotate," that was developed by the artists Becky G and Burna Boy.
• "Rotate" will be integrated across social and digital content from Pepsi, including a TikTok duet challenge that gives users the chance to interact with the athletes. The push shows how Pepsi is looking to bridge its advertising with mobile video trends that are popular among young sports fans.

Dive Insight:

Pepsi is building out its work with soccer professionals and the UEFA Champions League in a campaign that shines a spotlight on music and sensory engagement.

The effort leans heavily into mobile channels, looking to reach younger soccer fans where they're spending more time, including TikTok, an app that has seen its popularity skyrocket during the pandemic. Pepsi intends for the vibe of the creative to help consumers break the "bubble of sameness that we often find ourselves in," Natalia Filippociants, VP of marketing and global beverages at PepsiCo, said in a press statement.

TikTok places a focus on music-oriented content and dance challenges that marketers have tried to glom onto to boost their profile on the app. Rather than relying on a song that's already popular on TikTok, Pepsi developed its own track, "Rotate," that it hopes will organically take off as users duet their videos with famous athletes.

Mobile extends to other aspects of the "Fizz" push as well. Limited-edition packaging will carry QR codes that unlock an interactive game featuring the four soccer stars. Players can share their scores through an integration with Instagram Stories, per the release.

"Fizz to Life," developed with agency AMV BBDO, heralds Pepsi's seventh year working with the UEFA, a key partnership in the soft drink marketer's outreach to diverse global audiences. Van de Sanden is the first female player to land in Pepsi's UEFA ambassador roster, the company confirmed to Ad Age.

Pepsi at the same time is rolling out creative that doesn't focus as much on soccer, but preserves other motifs from the campaign. A "PopFizzAhh" ad centers purely on sensory themes, with a soundscape developed by artist and comedian Michael Dapaah.

The brand will introduce more content created with Dapaah in the coming months, the release said, as well as new typographical concepts that look to add additional "pop" to its products.

Pepsi is tying the campaign to its larger "For the Love of It" platform that launched in 2019. The brand has dubbed the international tagline a "rallying cry" for younger consumers to live out their hobbies like music or sports.