Let's Call It More "Empty Can" Advertising From Pepsi
My mission with this blog is to spot great advertising ideas and analyze them for you. But sometimes it helps to point out the weakest ads in order to appreciate the great ones. Today I give you Pepsi, one of the more frustrating advertisers of all time, imho. They so rarely say anything interesting and the recent spot below is no different. Just more “empty can” advertising. Have a look and I’ll break down why it’s so broken.
Let’s start with the contradiction
So the spot says we’ll be 15 seconds closer to game time by the time this Patriots fan finishes drinking his Pepsi. But then the spot ends with, “Patriots watching: better with Pepsi,” which implies the game has already started. Which is it? Empty can advertising.
Vacancy
But let’s isolate the first half of that message. “By the time this Patriots fan has finished drinking his Pepsi, you’ll be 15 seconds closer to game time.” One could also argue no matter what drivel of an ad is running during this :15 spot, we’ll be 15 seconds closer to game time. How is this passing of time in any way unique to Pepsi? Empty can advertising.
So what are we left with?
Pandering to Patriots fans
All this ad attempts to do, it turns out, is associate Pepsi with Patriots fans and Patriots watching. Just a guy ferociously drinking a Pepsi in a Patriots jersey next to an expressionless, unexcited, zombie-like woman who is clearly not having fun. No insight, no human truth, no interesting fact that in any way connects Pepsi to actual Patriots fans. I mean, the color of the Pepsi can is the same color as a Patriots jersey. How did they miss that? That would have been at least SOMETHING relevant.
But no, all we get is a flat, superficial claim at the end that comes straight out of an empty can, “Patriots watching: better with Pepsi.” Why is it better, Pepsi? How is Patriots watching in any way improved with a Pepsi? You’ve given us no reason. Hell, according to your own spot this guy drinking the Pepsi isn’t even watching the Patriots game yet (you said it was prior to game time). Is there even Pepsi in that can?
Ugh.
Pepsi is a wandering spirit. It has no soul. It doesn’t believe in anything, and I’d argue never has. It desperately needs a brand idea to galvanize its creative and make the brand interesting. You don’t have to call Ideasicle X, but call somebody.
Until then we can all expect more random acts of marketing. More empty can advertising.
Will Burns is the Founder & CEO of the revolutionary virtual-idea-generating company, Ideasicle X. He’s an advertising veteran from such agencies as Wieden & Kennedy, Goodby Silverstein, Arnold Worldwide, and Mullen. He was a Forbes Contributor for nine years writing about creativity in modern branding. Sign up for the Ideasicle Newsletter and never miss a post like this.