Actress and comedian Amy Poehler is front and center in a new campaign for PepsiCo’s Pure Leaf iced tea that promotes ingredient quality while seeking to upend the concept of people having to say yes to things they don’t really want to do.
In the first half of a 60-second “No is Beautiful” television spot from the agency DDB that broke two weeks ago, Poehler provides the voiceover as a young mother is seen dutifully but unwillingly performing her daily routine—from early wakeup to office work to family functions.
At the start of the second half, Poehler asks, “Seriously, though, do you really want to do all of this?” The mom faces the camera and replies “No!” and then refuses to do all the things she had previously done.
The spot—which appears on major broadcast networks and premium online video—ends by noting that Pure Leaf contains no artificial flavors or sweeteners and “no extra stuff.”
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The empowerment concept is based on an Ipsos survey of approximately 2,661 U.S. adults in late 2019. Half of female respondents said that they don’t feel empowered to say no to things in their professional lives, compared to 34% of men.
“Amy was chosen to be the face and voice of ‘No Is Beautiful,’ as she truly believes in the power of saying no and shares our passion for spreading this message,” Katrina McDonald, senior director of the Pepsi Lipton Partnership, tells Marketing Daily. “She is hilarious, talented and a pleasure to work with.”
In the second wave of the campaign that broke this week, Poehler teams with her former “Parks and Recreation” TV series co-star Rashida Jones to direct a three-part video series called “Once Upon A No.” In the videos, Poehler completely rewords the classic stories "Hansel and Gretel," "Princess & the Pea" and "Rapunzel."
In the "Once Upon A No Rapunzel" video, the title character refuses to let down her hair to accommodate the witch who has entrapped her high in a castle.
“Either build a staircase or install an elevator, okay? What do you think these are, hair extensions?” says Poehler, clutching a miniature Rapunzel doll.
The Golin agency handled creative for the “Once Upon A No” series, which is running on YouTube, Facebook/Instagram and Buzzfeed.
“We will also continue to partner with like-minded ambassadors like Poehler, including bestselling author of “Fair Play,” Eve Rodsky, to amplify the campaign message and offer resources for time management and prioritization,” says McDonald.
“Additionally, more programs and initiatives will be announced to take place throughout the year.”