PepsiCo Pays Big Bucks for Powerful Brand Promotions

No one does the Super Bowl quite like PepsiCo.

From the half-time show, to Super Bowl Boulevard, to PepCity; the beverage and snacks maker is paying big bucks to promote its brands, and this year is shaping up to be PepsiCo’s biggest activation ever.

“PepsiCo is a proud New York based company, and we’ve had a long standing partnership with the National Football League, so with the Super Bowl coming to the area, it gives us a great opportunity to give back to the tri-state residents,” said Jennifer Storms, PepsiCo Global Sports Marketing Senior Vice President . “At the end of the day, we have a very passionate connection to the National Football League, so the opportunity this year is to connect even further with the people who love football so much and can understand our brands better.”

Pepsi (NYSE:PEP) was the title sponsor of the half time show for the second year in a row, placing Pepsi right in the center of music and sports culture. This year’s show featured Grammy Award-winner Bruno Mars and the Red Hot Chili Peppers.  But Pepsi didn’t wait until Sunday’s performance to promote its sponsorship. The brand launched a massive campaign to “Get Hyped for Halftime” by bringing the excitement and spirit of halftime to unexpected places throughout the country.

Another PepsiCo brand, Doritos, held its hugely successful “Crash the Super Bowl” contest for the 8th year in a row. The program invites fans to submit homemade Doritos ads for a chance to win $1 million and see their commercial during the big game.

“Crash the Super Bowl is so unique because it allows everyone to create for us,” said Storms. “This is the first year we’re taking the contest to an international level, so it’s been exciting to see ads coming in from around the world. We’re allowing everyone to collaborate with PepsiCo and enjoy our brands.”

PepsiCo’s Mountain Dew brand had four commercial spots during the Super Bowl Pre-Game Show, including two for the newly launched Kickstart flavors Black Cherry and Limeade.

But it’s not just about promoting brands during the Super Bowl; Pepsi utilizes its 30-year partnership with the NFL, one of the most powerful properties in sports, to drive sales throughout the year.

“We reach more people in more places at more times from our partnership with the NFL,” said Storms. “We know from our retail partners that this is an important piece of the retail component.”

The NFL is the number one sport in the largest sports market in the world, with 185 million domestic fans. And the Super Bowl is the most-watched U.S. sporting event, airing in 180 counties and more than 25 languages.