Addesa, Taffet, Hanson

Brands wanting to tap into cultural conversations is nothing new, but it can be challenging to do it in a way that benefits consumers and brands alike, said Stacy Taffet, senior vice president, marketing, PepsiCo Beverage. She spoke at an Advertising Week panel session in New York today.  

Taffet was joined on stage by moderator OMD CEO USA Christina Hanson and Joey-Lyn Addesa, executive director OMD USA. Hanson commented on what she termed “the mood of the times where culture has this incredible traction and interest.”   

Taffet noted that younger people today are very nostalgic, and the company has used that insight to drive many of its culture-driven campaigns and messaging. 

The company celebrated its 125th anniversary last year and used the occasion to overhaul its visuals and logo—bringing a previous look with some modern touches. One event that drew throngs last year was the Pepsi 125 Dinner experiential event in New York City—there was a wait list of 20,000 people.   

Taffet cited another example of tapping the nostalgia trend with a modern twist: Pepsi-owned Brisk Iced Tea is well known for its use of Claymation in its ads. Recently it unveiled a new batch of Claymation ads featuring Grammy-winner Doja Cat.   

OMD’s Addesa noted that agencies can use modern media tools and channels to help “future forward” nostalgic campaigns. 

Inserting brands into politics is particularly challenging in today’s divided landscape but PepsiCo brand Mountain Dew capitalized on the coincidence that both vice presidential candidates this year have shared their love for the soft drink. Mountain Dew created two ads prior to the VP debate last week using humor to note that a preference for Mountain Dew may be the one thing the candidates agree on.