Pepsi Millions of Meals initiative spreads millions of smiles
COVID-19 has inflicted critical financial and economic damages on most Pakistanis than it ever could do health-wise. The stats regarding the number of cases may be politically manipulated, but what is certain is, that millions of wage earners and small businessmen are threatened by starvation. In such a situation brands are doing their job. Pepsi Millions of Meals initiative reaches out to those families who have sunk way below the poverty line.
Pepsi Millions of Meals is a ration distribution campaign that aims to cover entire Pakistan from Gilgit to Gwadar. The TVC to go with the campaign is similar in spirit to the Pepsi Liter of Light campaign. Touched with the same sensitivity and emotionally charged theme the TVC also carries a touch of mysticism. Sung by Sajjad Ali and Aima Baig the theme song has all the melodic power to touch our hearts.
The visual execution of the TVC is predictable. The creative and soul-stirring lyrics did not get enough support from the situations. The dichotomy of light and dark, night and day, happiness and hopelessness, and smiles and tears could have changed the way the TVC now looks.
CSR campaigns have become the mainstay of Pepsi’s entire creative advertising. It is these campaigns that keep the brand image of Pepsi on a higher pedestal. Since losing its positioning on music and cricket, the brand has not found anything to bank on. Pepsi could not position itself on food since the space is overly crowded with the presence of Sprite and 7Up.
On the other hand, Coca-Cola, after making marketing blunders in abundance, is nothing to fall back on but Coke Studio. Both Coke and Pepsi are struggling to align their creative with an effective brand strategy. The brand strategies of Sprite and 7Up are spot on. Their position allows them to explore creative ideas in a unified direction.
Pepsi Millions of Meals started during the first wave of Coronavirus, could make a real difference on the ground. With a country-wide sales and distribution network, the brand can access every corner of Pakistan. The campaign is targeted to reach millions of people, while a single smile on a despairing face would certainly be worth millions.
