Pepsi Gets a Latino ‘Movement’

Dieste, Harmel & Partners’ new Pepsi-Cola television spot tempts Hispanic consumers with a new tagline and an appearance by Colombian recording artist Shakira.

“Movimiento Pepsi” (“The Pepsi Movement”) is the 30-second spot’s tagline. Previous Pepsi ads running in the Hispanic media have included the phrase, “Pepsi Goza el Sabor,” the Spanish version of the general-market tagline, “The Joy of Pepsi.”

The new ad broke on Univision and Telemundo in spot markets on July 23. It begins airing in an English-language version on network and cable in spot markets this week. In the general-market spots, “The Joy of Pepsi” tag will be retained to maintain consistency, the Purchase, N.Y.-based client said.

DH&P of Dallas produced both versions of the spot and worked with the beverage company tocreate the new tagline. “We did various research with [Latino] consumers and we saw a positive connection in ‘The Pepsi Movement’ because it was about moving forward, progressing as a group,” said account director Mario Somoza. “It’s modern, feels young and inclusionary as well.”

Despite the new tagline, Pepsi’s brand essence remains the same, said client director of multicultural marketing Giuseppe D’Alessandro. “We adapt the campaigns to the way the market is feeling,” he said. “The Latino market is exploding and is very young and they feelthis is the time for a huge Latino movement.”

D’Alessandro said Shakira, a Grammy winner, is an ideal representative of the brand essence for all youth. She has done Spanish and English-language commercials for Pepsi over the past year.

The latest spot features Shakira’s original rendition of “The Joy of Pepsi” tune and introduces what D’Alessandro describes as the “human touch” of the star. The English version mirrors the Spanish one.

As a boy runs from a security guard, Shakira stops her concert rehearsal to ask the young fan if he would like to watch her perform. The spot then shows Shakira singing to a crowd of energetic, arm-waving fans. The boy is seen sitting on the guard’s shoulders and cheering. A voiceover weaves in the tag as the ad closes and the phrase appears on the bottom of the screen.

The director was Joe Pytka, who also worked with DH&P on a Spanish-language spot that won a bronze Lion at Cannes in 1996.