Dive Brief:
- After teasing its Super Bowl campaign earlier this month, PepsiCo unveiled its full, joint 60-second Super Bowl spot for products Doritos Blaze and Mtn Dew Ice in a news release. The ad features Peter Dinklage, coached by Busta Rhymes and representing Doritos, who starts a lip-sync rap battle with Morgan Freeman, who stands in for Mountain Dew and is backed by Missy Elliott.
- PepsiCo is encouraging viewers to pick a side and join in on the feud. Starting on Super Bowl Sunday, on Feb. 4, the brand will roll out an exclusive Snapchat lens where fans can record and share their own performances inspired by the ad. They can also follow the conversation on Twitter and Instagram via @Doritos and the hashtag #SpitFire and @MountainDew and #IceCold.
- In the fire-and-ice themed commercial, Dinklage lip-syncs a verse from Busta Rhymes's "Look at Me Now" as the set goes up in flames. Freeman then lip-syncs Missy Elliott's "Get Ur Freak On" while freezing various objects.
Dive Insight:
The New England Patriots and Philadelphia Eagles won't be the only teams competing on Super Bowl Sunday. Rather than relying on the joint 60-second ad alone, PepsiCo is leveraging mobile to get fans to pick a side and engage with its creative, which rides on the popularity of shows like "Lip Sync Battle" and also some serious star wattage. Dinklage is perhaps best known for his role on HBO's "Game of Thrones," which is based on the series of fantasy novels "A Song of Ice and Fire" by George R.R. Martin — themes clearly alluded to in the campaign.
By putting a heavy focus on social media sharing and an exclusive Snapchat lens, PepsiCo might win over younger audiences that are cutting the cord and watching football games on TV less. PepsiCo has seen considerable success with past Super Bowl Snapchat efforts, including through its Gatorade brand, which garnered 160 million impressions for a lens it ran two years ago. The majority of Snapchat users are teens and young adults, and research has shown that this age group engages most with interactive and experience-focused marketing. Cross-promoting its snack and soft drink brands and creating a venue for consumers to create their own content and join in on the feud are some of the ways that PepsiCo can maximize what's sure to be a pricey in-game ad buy.
Several other brands are also focusing on competitive themes and celebrity square-offs in their Super Bowl campaigns this year. Fast-food chain Jack in the Box earlier this week unveiled a regional effort that pits the brand's mascot against Martha Stewart in a culinary feud that includes the two sparring via text messages, gifs and social media posts before and after the game.
