Pepsi promotes Super Bowl halftime show instead of running in-game spot

The beverage brand is essentially turning the 2021 Super Bowl performance, which this year will feature three-time Grammy winner The Weeknd, into a national marketing push involving a TV spot, new website and special product packaging.

“We’re putting all our muscle behind the Halftime Show this year,” Todd Kaplan, Pepsi’s vp of marketing, said. “We’re expanding the 12 minutes of entertainment into a multi-platform, six-week campaign.”

It kicks off with a 60-second ad, titled “Get Ready,” which shows various people singing and dancing to The Weeknd’s hit song Blinding Lights, along with an appearance by the artist himself. The commercial is scheduled to premiere this weekend during the NFL wild-card games.

For the first time, Pepsi is also placing a Halftime Show logo on its packaging. The limited-edition bottles and cans, available at retailers now, come with a QR code that directs shoppers to PepsiHalftime.com, a new site that contains behind-the-scenes footage and an augmented reality filter.

Read more at CNBC