Then, during the second quarter, Pepsi dissed rival Coke even harder by having a polar bear—one of Coke’s mascots—take the Pepsi Challenge, a blind taste test that first hit TV in 1975. With the two cans of soda right on the table, labels facing out, the bear chose Pepsi.
“The creative isn’t just Pepsi ‘poking the bear,’” PepsiCo said in a release at the time. “It’s a defining moment that brings that brand’s proven taste superiority to center stage.” (PepsiCo did not respond to ADWEEK’s request for comment.)
Bringing back the Pepsi Challenge was one thing. But co-opting a competitor’s own mascot in the effort? That was the move that turned a jab into a right hook.
“What we’re seeing now is a shift in boldness, and it’s worth paying attention to,” said communications and media veteran Eric Yaverbaum. “When Pepsi used the bear in a Super Bowl ad, it became a calculated swipe that turned Coke’s own mascot against them in front of hundreds of millions of viewers.”
In the view of advertising veteran Michael Priem, CEO and president of ad agency ModernImpact, that calculated swipe has become an integral part of marketing strategy for three reasons. First, it “shows up as modern” in an increasingly in-your-face culture. Second, it “squeezes the juice out of the [advertising] investment” by creating a conversation tailor made for social-media. Finally, he said, combat is often what the social crowd is looking for anyway.
“If you have this rivalry effect and your advertising is migrating into social channels, that rage bait creates this huge degree of engagement,” Priem said.
Brands in glass houses
It’s worth pointing out that, with the exception of Pepsi, these brands maligned their competitors by implication, not by name. Anthropic’s ad didn’t call out ChatGPT, and neither Burger King or Wendy’s mentioned McDonald’s or its CEO, affording plausible deniability to all three.
Anthropic and Wendy’s did not respond to ADWEEK’s request for comment, but Burger King sent a statement. “The video of Tom trying the updated Whopper was planned content and the timing of the broader online conversation was coincidental,” the company said. “Our focus is on continuing to build momentum around listening to guest feedback, our Whopper updates, and delivering experiences our guests love.”
Name check or no, it’s still aggressive marketing—and it’s not without its risks. Not every CEO is a natural on camera. Will all the ridicule of Kempczinski start to look like trolling at some point?
“This type of marketing can work in very specific occasions,” said retail analyst Bruce Winder. “The hamburger example is just a bit of fun. However, brands need to be careful not to look too desperate or opportunistic—or like a bully.”
