• by Danielle Oster , January 15, 2024

 
Pepsi Wild Cherry launched a new campaign during the NFL Wild Card games this past weekend, with a wry message inviting millennial parents to “Get Wild.”

Two 30-second ads debuted during the broadcast of the games kicking off the NFL Playoffs. In “Nursery Rhymez,” a mother rocks her baby to sleep to the millennial nostalgia-stoking tune of Lil Jon’s “Get Low,” while “#1 Fan” features a millennial dad getting a bit too excited for a youth flag football game. Both ads were directed by filmmaker Kate Hollowell of woman-owned production company Epoch Films.

A statement from the brand notes the role of millennials, and millennial women in particular, in driving growth for the flavored cola category -- of which cherry is the most-preferred flavor.

"As a millennial myself, I know firsthand what it's like to feel nostalgic for our younger, freer days -- and I know that we're also still good at getting a little bit wild,” Pepsi Senior Marketing Director Jenny Danzi said in a statement.

Notably, Pepsi Wild Cherry Zero Sugar is far from an afterthought in the ads. Instead cans of the product are prominently featured in shots in both ads. PepsiCo introduced an expansion of its reformulated Zero Sugar line in 2023, and has made it clear that it views it as an important part of its portfolio.

In an investors call discussing the company’s Q1 2023 earnings report, PepsiCo Chairman and CEO Ramon L. Laguarta said, “it’s essential to our strategy to continue to drive low sugar and non-sugar products” as part of its "portfolio transformation.”

In addition to the broadcast ads, the “Get Wild” campaign includes “significant investment” across digital media channels, including TikTok, Snapchat, Spotify and Barstool Sports. There’s also a promotional giveaway, providing a free trial to fans who text WILDCHERRY" to 81234; as well as a “Wild Cherry Wild Weekend” sweepstakes running through Jan. 28 offering fans an opportunity to win tickets to 2025 NFL Wild Card Weekend games, along with costs for travel and accommodations.