Dive Brief:
- PepsiCo is launching a campaign called "Stronger Together" to celebrate essential workers during the pandemic, the company revealed via press release.
- The program will highlight frontline workers in some Southeastern states by sharing their stories during the public health crisis. Beginning May 11, consumers can nominate local heroes on a dedicated microsite, PepsiStrongerTogether.com. The company will include some of these workers in new 30-second ads that will run on iHeartRadio's Elvis Duran and The Morning Show and The Breakfast Club. Winning nominees will be given a $1,000 care package from PepsiCo's South Division.
- The initiative began on Nurses' Appreciation Day on May 6 when PepsiCo visited four hospitals and universities across the region. The campaign will visit other vulnerable communities in the coming weeks.
Dive Insight:
PepsiCo's Stronger Together campaign is designed to connect with consumers on a more emotional level during the pandemic and express support for essential workers including nurses and grocery store workers. This regional effort is targeting folks in the Southeast by highlighting the very faces that are helping to fight the crisis and support their communities.
It follows a wider initiative that Pepsi introduced when it sponsored a virtual concert organized by the World Health Organization (WHO) and advocacy group Global Citizen to support the fight against the pandemic. The beverage giant sponsored the special, which starred musicians Lady Gaga, Paul McCartney, Stevie Wonder, Billie Eilish and Lizzo, among others. It was broadcast across a number of domestic and international networks and livestreamed on Amazon Prime Video, Apple, Twitch and YouTube.
While the ad is a departure from the brand's new tagline, "That's What I Like," that launched in January, the campaign demonstrates that PepsiCo is focusing its efforts on amplifying COVID-19 messaging as more product-centric efforts take a back seat.
Ads that are able to illustrate how brands are supporting the global fight have thus far been perceived in a mostly positive light, Ace Metrix studies show. PepsiCo's particular effort offers real people in the Southeast necessary supplies and $1,000 care package at a time when many essential workers are working overtime without extra pay.
