PEPSI PUTS HALF A BILLION INTO BLUE CAN BLITZ
By Adnews Staff
U.S.-based Pepsi-Cola Co. kicked off a $500 million(US) international advertising and promotional campaign last week for its redesigned can. The campaign is running in 20 countries but not in North America, although the blue can will be used in Canada and the U.S. TV commercials feature tennis star Andre Agassi and models Cindy Crawford and Claudia Schiffer. The outdoor portion uses billboards and neon signs. In Latin America the outdoor ads feature two chimpanzees in a jungle. The chimp that drinks Coca-Cola spends all his time with Tarzan; the one that drinks Pepsi ends up in bed with Jane. The ads were created by BBDO Worldwide of New York. Pepsi has also painted one of France's supersonic Concorde planes blue and slapped on the Pepsi logo. However, the plane won't be able to fly at supersonic speed because the blue paint would peel off. Pepsi re-designed the can and launched the campaign to gain market share in its international markets. Nearly 80% of Coca-Cola's profit is made overseas, while these markets account for only 30% of Pepsi's earnings, according to a report in the Wall Street Journal. In the U.S., Coke has 43% of the market and Pepsi has 31%.