• Ad Age, Tuesday, June 26, 2007 10:30 AM

Pepsi-Cola Co. North America is about to put as much as $55 million behind its new energy/soft drink hybrid Diet Pepsi Max. In fact, the company is so pumped by its test results it will support the brand with two to three times its usual launch budget. The campaign is tagged, "Wake up, people!"

The product is aimed at men, typically a hard sell for diet drinks. "I expect it will be a higher share than any recent innovation you've seen from us," says Kristina Mangelsdorf, director-trademark, Pepsi. "We had launched big flavor extensions, but ... they didn't have any real staying power."

The product contains ginseng and double the caffeine of regular Diet Pepsi. The "Wake up, people!" campaign from BBDO positions the beverage as an antidote for the yawn that can interrupt things like a wedding or a job interview. The media buy includes TV, radio, out of home and Internet.

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