Mtn Dew Rise Energy, a more caffeinated version of the soft drink, has launched its first brand campaign, starring LeBron James, the basketball star and four-time NBA champion who is often put on the scale with Michael Jordan.
The 60-second commercial, “The Morning Makes You,” depicts what would happen if James decided to “procrastinate” in the morning, and compares that scenario to what he would achieve by going forward. forward as a basketball player, a father, a businessman and a philanthropist with the energy of Mtn Dew Rise Energy.
Produced by TBWA\Chiat\Day NY (a division of TBWA WorldWide), the advertising campaign will run nationwide across broadcast and digital video platforms throughout the NBA Playoffs. This spot also marks the NBA champion’s first appearance in a campaign in partnership with the Pepsi brand, after ending an 18-year contract with rival Coca-Cola.
LeBron James’s life if he chooses to “procrastinate” – stop moving forward
Around March this year, PepsiCo introduced the energy drink Mtn Dew Rise Energy and announced that NBA star LeBron James would be the face of the brand and collaborate on promotions for Frito-Lay. , another snack product under PepsiCo. James’ status as a superstar athlete, often facing pressure and intense training, required a perfect solution to replenish energy for physical activity all day, completely Fully consistent with the characteristics of Mtn Dew’s new product. Cooperating with the NBA champion can help PepsiCo enhance the value of the Mtn Dew Rise Energy brand, increasing awareness of newly launched products in the promising energy drink segment.
Mtn Dew Rise Energy product contains caffeine equivalent to 2 cups of coffee, plus other vitamins and minerals. This product is intended to be a powerful assistant to help “start the morning with a refreshing spirit, support immunity without absorbing a single gram of sugar”. Six different fruit flavors are launched in the collection, including Berry Blitz, Tropical Sunrise, Strawberry Melon Spark, Orange Breeze, Peach Mango Dawn and LeBron James’ favorite, Pomegranate Blue Burst.
Mtn Dew and decided to branch out into the energy drink segment
According to a survey in the US, about 60 million people consume caffeine drinks right after waking up, but only 20 million people choose a refreshing drink to start a new day. To penetrate deeper into the segment of products consumed in the morning, PepsiCo has launched the new energy drink Mtn Dew Rise Energy.
Mtn Dew over the years has tweaked its formula to produce a caffeinated beverage that provides energy for outdoor activities. This direction also made the product popular among younger consumers, who spent hours indoors glued to video games. Energy drink formulations, which add caffeine along with vitamins and minerals, may appeal to similar consumer groups who regularly engage in physically demanding activities. The brand promoted a version called Mtn Dew Game Fuel for the customer segment that regularly plays video games, e-sports and needs high concentration. To strengthen brand loyalty among users in the gaming community, Mtn Dew Game Fuel opened an online store in December to sell the full range of flavors and reward repeat buyers.
James LeBron and his 18-year journey with Coca-Cola
James was an 18-year-old when he signed with Coca-Cola and began working on the Sprite brand. During his time with the company, he helped promote Sprite and Powerade by appearing in many commercials and even introduced limited edition Coca-Cola flavors. Last September, the agreement between the two sides ended.
This decision was made when Coca-Cola was restructuring its finances to respond to the pandemic. The company’s revenue has suffered as fewer consumers go to restaurants, sporting events and movie theaters, where Coca-Cola products are available. At the time, Coca-Cola said it was looking to invest in projects that would ensure long-term growth. In addition to cutting more than 2,000 employees, Coca-Cola has cut its global beverage portfolio from 430 brands to 200, abandoning some brands such as Tab soda and the smoothies segment.
It is known that Coca-Cola did not provide any information regarding the cost of cooperation with James. It’s unknown how much the deal between the two sides is worth, but Nike’s deal with James is said to be worth more than a billion dollars.
Pepsi did not comment on the value of its deal. A representative of the company said James is the first athlete to introduce a completely new brand. Pepsi will work with him on issues related to education, social justice and initiatives in communities that have not yet taken off.
