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Ad of the Day

Pepsi "Wordplay"

Brand: Pepsi-Cola
Agency: TBWA Worldwide
Review Date: December 29, 2008

Here's "Wordplay," the first TV ad from newly crowned Pepsi shop TBWA\Chiat\Day. The animated montage features feel-good messages ("love," "optimism," "joy") with the brand's spanking new logo taking the place of the letter "O." Also on display: Happy colors and upbeat music, the latter in the form of the jangle-pop anthem "Energy" by The Apples in Stereo. And the words "Happy 2009" appear in different languages. It's all aimed at millennials. The commercial works the whole "let's have a positive new year!" routine a bit too hard. It's a lot like the beverage itself: Sweet and slightly elevating at first (owing to the caffeine, in the case of the drink), but a bit too syrupy overall and liable to leave behind a bitter aftertaste. Now don't get me wrong; the spot isn't actively bad. It's just uninspired and, to extend the cola metaphor, despite its peppy visuals and soundtrack, perhaps a tad flat. --David Gianatasio

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Overall rating:
(2.07 ) Poor

15 Comments
  • 1. FrankieR. comments:
    February 20, 2009

    This kinda feels more like a "Feel Good" Coke spot. It seems like Pepsi is trying to rip-off Coke's positioning. And the vheesy pop music doesn't help either.


  • 2. DAP comments:
    January 21, 2009

    Simple and non motivating void of any consumer insight worth noting. Did achieve 'stand out' status but for all the wrong reasons


  • 3. emma jaine comments:
    January 18, 2009

    visually interesting but conceptually weak. i find it escapist, flimsy and not worth the investment in ad space that it likely occupies on your tv screens.


  • 4. omino comments:
    January 17, 2009

    sometimes simplicity isn't brilliant, it's just plain stupid...I'm left wondering how much $$ was wasted on that ad?


  • 5. Erica comments:
    January 12, 2009

    Calls attention to how much the Pepsi logo looks like a rip-off of the Obama logo.


  • 6. Fabgal comments:
    January 06, 2009

    I saw this commercial the other day on TV and quickly lost attention, and my husband thought it was for Coke...


  • 7. jin-jo comments:
    January 04, 2009

    This spot reeks of some "strategist" blathering on about tapping into the zeitgeist and an overall longing of a new generation to be part of a "community." Is crap too strong a word?


  • 8. JMA comments:
    January 01, 2009

    catchy and timely


  • 9. dave comments:
    January 01, 2009

    huh... it's clearly a spot dedicated to the new pepsi logo... the change is fairly radical... makes sense strategically to put the new logo at the center of things to start... fun spot


  • 10. Shanice comments:
    January 01, 2009

    I like it. It doesn't try hard at all. It wasn't trying to be slick. So it succeeds. It makes you feel good too. I have a feeling this is just first salvo from Chiat/Day on this one - they've only had the account for about 4 weeks.


  • 11. Talib comments:
    December 31, 2008

    I feel like a Coke all of a sudden.


  • 12. LHM comments:
    December 29, 2008

    I agree, it feels like a hello kitty version of old Coca-Cola stuff. I went to the website and official youtube channel and both completely missed the boat. the youtube channel is a complete flop


  • 13. Ray comments:
    December 29, 2008

    Think the direction of optimism is cutting it really close the whole philosophy built for coca-cola "the coke side of life". In other words like happy side of life. The only thing Pepsi has going for them, in terms of separating from coke, is the modernized logo, and extremely graphic approach. Which I am hoping is going to be much more than we see here, and the brand pleasantly surprises everyone to prove it is not a coke hack. Otherwise I can see this direction blending into all the competition.


  • 14. B comments:
    December 29, 2008

    It sounds like they modernized the old Coke "I want to teach the world to sing.' crap for 2009.Millennials, and evrybody else, will see through the hype. The new logo is terrible.


  • 15. pete shotton comments:
    December 29, 2008

    wtf. are you sure this isn't a rip of an idea that got killed? or maybe this was put out by coke to sabotage the new pepsi campaign. i can't believe highly-paid professionals came together and decided this was what pepsi needed. the only thing good about the whole thing is that a decent band got some cash out of it.


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