Grumpy Pirates Feel the Joy in Lipton Ice Tea's Swashbuckling Spot

Pepsi Lipton International is launching ‘Tea Changes Everything’, an uplifting global brand platform for Lipton Ice Tea, created with long-term partners adam&eveDDB.

As part of the new ‘Tea Changes Everything’ platform, Lipton is investing in its biggest global brand campaign in more than a decade, and part of a wider global brand repositioning, which is dialling up distinctiveness to position the brand for a bigger share of the wider beverage market.

The campaign is launching with swashbuckling film, ‘Pirates’, the first in a series that shows what happens when even the most famously grumpy enjoy the uplifting taste of a refreshing Lipton Ice Tea. What follows is a joyful demonstration of how when we drink Lipton Ice Tea, we’re making a choice to think and act differently - menacing pirates take a sip, then unexpectedly cast aside their murderous intentions. An over-the-top party ensues to the tune of Tiny Tim’s Livin’ in the Sunlight, Lovin’ in the Moonlight.

The film was directed by David Wilson and produced by Riff Raff, with post production by Absolute, and sound by Wave Studios.

The campaign introduces Lipton Ice Tea’s new sensory signature developed with agency partners Design Bridge. The ‘Lipting’ is a combination of an iconic raised pinkie finger and a distinctive ‘ting’ sound, signalling the uplifting taste that Lipton Ice Tea helps deliver. The ‘Lipting’ sits alongside the brand’s distinctive brand assets and together form the connecting thread across all brand communications. Putting the ting into uplifting and the tea into positivi-tea.

April Redmond, CMO Pepsi Lipton said, “The playful new platform is built on the insight that tea – which is known to have a refreshing, uplifting taste – can change everything and offer easy moments of joy and positivity. By leveraging our tea and taste credentials, we are tapping into the increasing consumer demand for more permissible drinks.”

Mark Shanley, creative director, adam&eveDDB, added, "Tea really does change everything. Even the moods of a crew of weather-beaten, bloodthirsty, grumpy pirates. We’re excited for the launch of this new creative platform, based on a simple truth, and we’re looking forward to the next chapter of ‘Tea Changes Everything’.”

Nipa Shah, head of global marketing at Pepsi Lipton, said, “Lipton is a brand strongly associated with positivity and feeling of summer. With ‘Tea Changes Everything’, we are able to bring that sense of joy and light hearted humour into our communications, creating content which is entertaining and unmissable in today’s cluttered advertising environment.”

James Cooney, creative director, agency partner for the ‘Lipting’, added, “If tea really does change everything, Lipton had to turn conventional branding on its head. Creating a distinctive and repeatable new asset for the brand that goes beyond expected logo and category codes. The ‘Lipting’ will be popping up everywhere.”

‘Pirates’ will run on TV, cinema and digital video across key markets globally, launching initially in Europe followed by a full-scale global rollout.

The campaign will also appear in online video and OOH, and a full range of supporting activity across PR, social, brand partnerships, sampling, POS and packaging.