Did AMV BBDO & Pepsi Max Just Create the Football Match of the Future?

Pepsi MAX today unleashes its first-ever global brand campaign, with the brand defining genius in unexpected and purely awesome ways.  

The digital-first, content-focused and socially-led global campaign highlights unique experiences and passion combinations that when paired together are nothing short of genius. With an unexpected approach to consumer passion points including music, sport, technology and more, Pepsi MAX is taking a bold approach to its brand proposition as it connects and expands its presence around the world. 

“Pepsi MAX is an important and growing brand in our Pepsi portfolio. It has become a brand known for not only delivering the unexpected combination of ‘maximum taste, no sugar’, but also for its highly engaging digital content,” said Kristin Patrick, Senior Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer, PepsiCo Global Beverage Brands. “We believe that the most exciting experiences don’t just happen—they’re created. The ‘Genius' campaign will show experiences that are elevated and made more exciting when something unexpected happens. In the case of 'Drone Football,' our first TV and digital ad under this new campaign, we’ve taken something that’s already exciting — a pickup game of football among friends—and elevated it by adding in surprising twists, like a drone that delivers a unique football, and light effects that at first surprise the footballers and then make their game even more exciting than it might have been."

The first in a series of digital content under the ‘Genius’ campaign in 2015, Pepsi MAX premieres “Drone Football” for both digital and traditional viewing. 

Pepsi MAX transforms what appears to be a normal game of five-a-side football by using specially designed LED lights and illuminating the pitch to create an unexpected and elevated experience. In an extra ‘Genius’ twist, a drone officiates the game, at one point even giving a yellow card to a player for rough play. Directed by Scott Lyon, the short film was captured in real-time in Barcelona with local players from the neighborhood where the filming took place. Reactions of neighbours and bystanders was authentic and genuine as Pepsi MAX created a surprising and exciting night with LED lights, as well as drone and on-the-ground camera technologies capturing the inventive, epic game from multiple angles. 

“As the fastest growing FMCG brand in 2014, Pepsi Max now accounts for more than half of the brand's value in the UK, an achievement that was down to a rigourous and innovative digital marketing approach.

As masters of delivering and curating relevant and engaging content for our millennial audience, we are hugely excited to be apart of the global 'Genius' platform launch  - a campaign that we know will build on the success of last year through the creation of exciting digital content that provides consumers with entertaining moments and ingenious new experiences.” said Sebastian Micozzi, Head of Marketing and Innovation at PepsiCo.