BACKGROUND
Christmas is one of the most important business periods for the cola category, as consumption naturally rises when people come together to celebrate. It’s also a key time when light buyers enter the category, presenting a valuable opportunity to drive brand penetration. However, the festive season has traditionally been dominated by Coca-Cola, making it a challenging moment for Pepsi to cut through. This campaign aims to reimagine Pepsi’s presence at Christmas and carve out a fresh, ownable space during this culturally significant time.
IT CAN WAIT
IT IS CHRISTMAS AFTER ALL
‘THIS FEELS LIKE A JANUARY PROBLEM’
One of the most magical parts of Christmas is how acceptable it is to put things off till next year. Once Christmas is here, it feels like the world has permission to pause on all the usual things and concentrate on having a good time instead.
Work project? Let’s kick that into the new year shall we?
Resealing the ensuite shower tray? January, surely.
Sorting out the garden shed? Not in this weather.
School sports kit mega wash? That can wait.
Getting a new 5K PB? Let’s put a pin in it (and a few mince pies) till January.
We fully endorse this tools-down mentality.
Everything else can wait. It’s Xmas after all.
RESULTS
The campaign performed well during one of the most competitive periods for the cola category. By tapping into a powerful human truth at the heart of the holiday season, we created an emotional connection that helped Pepsi build relevance in a space long dominated by our competitor. It also marked the first successful equity campaign grounded in Pepsi’s new brand positioning - bringing the strategy to life in a way that resonated with consumers. Most importantly, the work established a bold, long-term creative platform for the brand - one that will be leveraged and evolved over multiple years, setting the stage for a new and ownable festive tradition for Pepsi.