2016 Winners & Shortlists

Brief Explanation

Due to the lack of investment behind the brand, Pepsi Market Shares have dropped by 6% pts in 2013 and in 2014 in a market dominated by the main competitor Coca-Cola. Focus groups also showcased that if Pepsi's awareness was still high among the consumer pool (15-24 yrs old middle to low income); the brand lacked affinity and relevance as all they could see is Pepsi’s association to Middle-East programs. Moreover with Coca Cola enjoying 97% Share of Media Spends, we had to be smart in our approach to stand a chance to emerge.

Results and Effectiveness

The video featuring Pepsi gathered 12.8M views on YouTube from end of August till the end of the year without Paid Media. An additional half a million views were registered on the user generated content through the mobile app. The local brand page on Facebook gained ex-nihilo 220K fans in only 4 months, half of the Coca-Cola number of local fans, yet active for several years. We were the fastest growing page in the Soft Drinks category (6x faster than Coca-Cola on the same period). Engagement peaked as well with an average interactions per 1,000 fans above Coca-Cola (source: SocialBaker).

Creative Execution

We created our own branded content and partnered with a local music collective: The BARBAPAPA- famous for their parodies of popular songs gathering 50 million views on YouTube. The partnership rested upon the integration of Pepsi in the music video: the new PET 500ml, Pepsi's color code and association of the brand with the local expression LIMONADA used for sodas. We used the BARBAPAPA material in Pepsi Morocco advertising and promotional material. We synchronised the launch of the local Facebook page with the release of the video and launched a contest, encouraging participants to generate content through a mobile application.

Insights, Strategy and the Idea

Youth in Morocco follow local artists: singer Saad Lamjarred is the holder of a Guinness World Record with the first song to break 100M views in YouTube under three months in MENA. A recent research also showcased that the younger age groups are passionate about technology and hooked to Internet. In fact, 45% of the 15-18 yrs old and 37% of the 19-24 answered technology and the Internet when asked what would you say you are passionate about in life? The popularity of local music artists was the emotional angle we exploited to reconnect Pepsi with the young Moroccan consumers.