From Shah Rukh Khan to Ranbir Kapoor, we take a look at Pepsi brand ambassadors who over the years brought out the youthful brand image, attracting youngsters to live unconventionally.
Pepsi brand ambassadors have always projected the brand image as youthful, inspiring young adults and teenagers to live their life to the fullest.
Sticking to its image, the campaigns have been closely aligned with youngster’s spirit of- ‘I do it my way’. From ‘Yehi hai right choice baby’ to ‘Har ghoont mein swag’, brand showcases attitude of the youth.
Pepsi has used celebrities from Cricket and Bollywood for endorsing the brand because of Indian youth’s obsession with its icons. Their ads always have cool phrases that are quickly adopted by the consumers in their daily vocabulary, thus strengthening the brand position.
Pepsi’s first-ever campaign started in India was ‘Yehi hai Right Choice Baby’, presenting endorsers such as Amir Khan, Shah Rukh Khan, and Aishwariya Rai among others. It became the most remembered commercial in 1992 thus making Pepsi one of the most visible brands in the era.
Cut to 2019, the campaign ‘Har Ghoont Mein Swag’ celebrates the confidence and never-dying spirit of the Indian youth.
Speaking on this campaign, Tarun Bhagat, Director-Marketing, Hydration and Cola, PepsiCo India, said, “PEPSI is a brand which has always resonated with the voice of today’s generation. This summer PEPSI is acknowledging and celebrating a word that defines today’s millennials’ – SWAG. ‘Har Ghoont Mein Swag’ is all about living in the moment, seizing new, interesting opportunities and doing it all with swag.”
Below is a list of Pepsi brand ambassadors over the years and how they made the brand image a little bit sharper, one campaign at a time.
Aamir Khan- Yehi hai Right Choice Baby
With the first campaign launched in 1992, the brand made its position firm in the market as being the soft drink of people’s choice. The TV commercial directed the Mukul Anand, featured singer Remo Fernandes and actress Juhi Chawla, while its sequel saw actor Aamir Khan and Aishwariya Rai.
Amitabh Bachchan – Yeh pyaas hai badi
Directed by Rajesh Krishnan and produced by Footcandle on behalf of JWT India, the Pepsi slogan focuses on the ‘big thurst’ for life and getting the maximum out of life.
Shah Rukh Khan and Sachin Tendulkar – Yeh dil maange more
Yeh Dil Mange More was coined for Pepsi at JWT by Anuja Chauhan in 1998. It combines Hindustani and English, meaning ‘this Heart Desires More’. This popular slogan was used as a victory message by Captain Vikram Batra during Kargil War in 1999. The brand image elevated during this period as it garnered media attention. In 2004, Shahid Kapoor’s movie launched titled ‘Yeh Dil Mange More.’
Deepika Padukone and Ranbir Kapoor – Pepsi to say Yeh Hai Youngistaan Meri Jaan
The campaign emphasized on Pepsi’s association with youthfulness, irreverence, and spirit. JWT is the creative agency behind the campaign. The commercial was shared across radio, outdoor, web and wireless.
Unmukt Chand – Oh yes abhi!
Having led the Under-19 Indian Cricket Team to a World Cup victory in 2012, Unmukt played Pepsi-IPL tournament short after. He featured in ad-film alongside MS Dhoni along with Virat Kohli and Suresh Raina.
Priyanka Chopra – Oh yes abhi
The concept of the commercial is credited to Taproot India. The ad film is produced by Corcoise Films and directed by Prasoon Pandey. The hype of IPL was highlighted with this ad. The brand also launched ‘The Pepsi World App’ to gives users access to live social feeds and let them play games to win access to the Pepsi IPL VIP box.
Ranbir Kapoor- Change the game (cricket)
To keep excitement and thrill of cricket high, Pepsi launched this ad campaign celebrating the passion of the sport. With the Twenty20 format, the ad focused on watching the match in one’s own unique way.
Virat Kohli- Pepsi Thi Jeet Gaya
PepsiCo Design and Innovation Center had created PepsiMoji designs for the brand. In India, consumers were able to find 38 PepsiMoji designs including celebrities like Virat Kohli and actor Ranbir Kapoor.
Salman Khan- Har Ghoont Mein Swag
Pepsi in association with Salman for Dabangg 3, reflected the youth’s self-confidence and high spirit and free attitude. Pepsi roped Salman Khan as its brand ambassador to attract bhai fans.
