Pepsi takes fans back to the retro days by 'Celebrating Every Generation'

To commemorate its long history, Pepsi has reintroduced its limited edition retro cans. The cans which date back to the 1940s, 1950s, 1960s and 1980s, is part of Pepsi's latest "Celebrating Every Generation" campaign which was based on the insight that majority of consumers have a good recollection of Pepsi's history. Conceptualised by PepsiCo and Etika, Entropia and Astro Radio were also involved in the campaign. In a statement to A+M, Pepsi's spokesperson said that each can design is exclusive to different retailers, namely 7-Eleven, Shell and PETRONAS. This is because retailers generally love exclusivity when it comes to product design. Pepsi has taken to print, radio and digital to boost awareness of the "Celebrating Every Generation" campaign. For instance, it transformed the jacket wrap of The Sun into one with a vintage look and feel. As for radio, it collaborated with Hitz FM and ERA FM by bringing back former well known DJs to turn the radio station "retro" for a day. The content covered for that day revolved around how radio has evolved and the celebration of every generation. Pepsi also brought back previous radio contests as part of listener engagement. Meanwhile on the digital front, Pepsi rolled out performance ad banners and online content such as "Can you name all these classic video games?" to reintroduce the nostalgic games once played by consumers. It also worked with Rocketfuel for a video inspired by Malaysian singer Syamel's "Kau Pun Sama", which is sung in different versions according to the particular year of the can's design. A national contest was also launched in conjunction with homegrown clothing brand Pestle & Mortar clothing, encouraging consumers to buy Pepsi products in order to participate in the contest. Winners will get their hands on exclusive merchandise designed by Pepsi and Pestle & Mortar. "All touch-points were intended to bring out the message of 'Celebrating Every Generation'. Hence, giving off a 'retro' feel throughout the entire campaign," Pepsi's spokesperson told A+M. With the brand campaign, Pepsi hopes to solidify its brand relevancy among Millennials, reconnect with lapsed customers and increase volume offtake. The brand recently unveiled a new tagline "For the love of it", replacing "Live For Now" which was introduced in 2012. This was in an effort to celebrate the "pop and fizz" of the cola like never before. Throughout 2019, the new “For the love of it” visual identity and jingle will be brought to life through design-led packaging, out-of-home artwork, and commercials and digital content distinct to each of the brand’s offerings. Goh Soo Mei, head of Etika business at Entropia, said, "It’s a beautiful campaign that gives a glimpse of how much progress Pepsi has made through generations. We took that and interpreted it via media which enabled consumers to truly experience the nostalgic journey." (Read also: Pepsi’s new tagline: Does it lack power and purpose?)