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Pepsi Zero Sugar Asks Fans To Predict March Madness Losers


 

Recently reformulated Pepsi Zero Sugar wants sports fans to win by predicting the most losers of the March Madness college basketball tournament before it begins on Thursday.

The brand describes the initiative as "Pepsi Got Zero Right, Can You?"

It’s playing out on the DraftKings fantasy sports platform in a partnership with former NBA basketball star and commentator Carlos Boozer, and is called the DraftKings Zero Right Bracket Challenge.

Registered users of DraftKings begin by trying to guess the teams that are least likely to win each round and make it to the top when March Madness culminates on April 4.

By the end of the tournament, if there is one winner, that person receives $100,000 in the form of a credit to their DraftKings account. In the event of a tie, the $100,000 will be evenly split among each of the tied contestants.

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"This is brand Pepsi’s first time partnering with DraftKings," for the promotion, which flips the "traditional bracket challenge on its head," Pepsi director of sports marketing Melissa Duhaime tells Marketing Daily.

This video promoting the contest touts the “new and improved taste” of Pepsi Zero Sugar, which was launched earlier this year as part of PepsiCo’s increased focus on zero-sugar beverages.

The reformulation was aimed at having Pepsi Zero Sugar better emulate the cola taste of regular Pepsi.

In January, PepsiCo said that consumer research showed the new varietal was considered more “refreshing, tasty, having a real cola taste, smooth, able to pair with food and more.”

Marketing activations began during the NFL playoffs and Pepsi’s first Super Bowl commercial in three years—bolstered by a contest to give away up to 10 million units of Pepsi Zero Sugar.

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