Why Pepsi Company is So “In Love” with Football

Pepsi undying love for football is evident in its recently launched new campaign “Love it. Live it. Football”. The new global commercial by Pepsi MAX brings football and its star players to the streets – the base of pop culture.

Connecting with the people

The ad intended to generate excitement in the 2018 World Cup. It featured 5 football stars and was to air in over 60 markets worldwide.

Each of the players featured holds a special place in the game and commands significant influence.

• Leo Messi is a five-time Best Player of the Year and Four-time UEFA Champions League winner,
• Marcelo is a world-renowned Brazilian defender and back to back UEFA Champions League winner,
• Toni Kroos is a three-time UEFA Champions League winner and German midfielder,
• Carli Lloyd is a US award-winning playmaker and two-time Women’s Best Player of the year, and
• Dele Alli is an English rising star and two-time Young Player of the Year.

The recent campaign is consistent with Pepsi previous efforts to bring joy to every generation by connecting fans with football.

By connecting with fans through football, Pepsi became an iconic brand in pop culture.

Football is the most popular sport that today occupies the hearts and minds of many people. Pepsi is not an entirely sports brand, but it has created a niche for itself in the industry. Its commercials are more influential among the drinks and beverages categories.

Let’s not forget that the war with the longtime adversary, Coca-Cola, extends to football commercials and deals.

So why the love with football? Natalia Filippociants, Senior Marketing Director, Global Pepsi Trademark, Global Beverage Group, PepsiCo, observed that the football tightly links the company’s iconic brand, players, and fans worldwide who share in the love for the game.

A marketing strategy for profit

However, Pepsi does not want to be loved for the sake of it. The ulterior motive of advertising is to increase sales and profitability. Many magazines write about it, you can find a lot of essay samples on the websites, such as PapersDude.com, it all around us.

“Now is what you make it” was the first largest effort by Pepsi to shift its brand to the global structure. The effort will be implemented in over 100 markets worldwide. Each market will feature a football star form the Pepsi roaster of 19 elite professionals who best resonates with the market.

Therefore, the pertinent question is, how does the love for football profit Pepsi?

The assumption by some people that they have come to like pop culture on their own can have misgivings. The industry is responsible for paying, lobbying, and hypnotizing its way into the hearts and minds of people around the world.

PepsiCo is no exception, and what other platforms to do it better than the football industry.

The early 2000s witnessed Pepsi at its best with influential commercials. At one point, the Food Commission criticized the company for getting sport-loving children hooked to sugary foods. Such was the influence of Pepsi ads featuring star footballers.

The cola wars with Coca-Cola is also a motivating factor towards Pepsi’s love for football.

Recently, it was reported that PepsiCo experienced a decline in beverage sales in North America. Not wanting to cede ground to its cola rival, PepsiCo seeks to expand its market reach. The recent ad featuring World Cup footballers such as Dele Alli appears to be paying off.

PepsiCo is establishing its influence in the English and European markets, thanks to football.

The benefits are reflected in the company’s revenues, which rose by 2.4% in the second quarter of 2017 to $16.1 billion, of which $5.2 billion came from beverages, beating Wall Street forecasts. It underscores Pepsi’s desire to be the official drink of football sporting events, leagues, players, and fans.

Pepsi has perfected the art of using football to engage with consumers in the constantly changing world. Its commercials connect with generations, bringing them closer to the company’s brands through the game.

Football inspires product differentiation for PepsiCo 

PepsiCo’s activities are not limited to the footballing field or playing the game. The group has partnered with renowned fashion brands to launch a footballing fashion collection.

The “Art of Football” Capsule Collection features a range of streetwear apparel and accessories. They include:

• t-shirts, backpacks, bucket hats and iPhone cases from Anteater;
• hoodies, tracksuits, t-shirts and cropped jackets from Boohoo;
• soccer t-shirts, shorts and balls from Umbro;
• sunglasses from Le Specs; and
• fashion headwear and t-shirts from New Era.

Pepsi demonstrates pop culture acumen through its love for football. The brand seeks to influence the multi-billion industry by reaching out to millions of fans through relevant commercials and products.