PepsiCo going for a Super ad blitz

http://www.heraldtribune.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?Site=SH&Date=20030122&Category=NEWS&ArtNo=301220645&Ref=AR&Profile=1003&SectionCat=NEWS0102

Super Bowl ads will be devoted to three soft drink lines, not Tropicana juices.

By MICHAEL BRAGA

michael.braga@heraldtribune.com

BRADENTON — PepsiCo Inc., which owns Tropicana Products, has unveiled its lineup of Super Bowl advertisements.

But none of the ads shine a spotlight on Tropicana’s array of juice offerings.

“It wasn’t in our media plan this year,” said Kristine Nickel, Tropicana’s spokeswoman.

Instead, PepsiCo has chosen to spend two-and-a-half minutes of commercial time on Pepsi Twist, Sierra Mist and Diet Pepsi.

Pepsi won’t say how much the ad time will cost, but the Wall Street Journal reported that some advertisers paid $1.5 million for 30 seconds.

At that rate, Pepsi would be shelling out about $7.5 million.

Pepsi said its 45-second commercial for Pepsi Twist will feature rock star and television celebrity Ozzy Osbourne dreaming that his children, Jack and Kelly, have turned into Donny and Marie Osmond.

In its 45-second commercial for lemon-lime Sierra Mist, a monkey at a zoo experiences the true meaning of refreshment after being flung into a swimming pool.

Another 30-second spot for Sierra Mist shows a man and his dog seeking refreshment from a fire hydrant.

Similarly, Diet Pepsi’s 30-second ad portrays thousands of hot, thirsty rock fans being hosed down by security guards.

“Advertising on the Super Bowl gets us immediate, widespread awareness,” said Dave Burwick, chief marketing officer for Pepsi-Cola North America. “Sierra Mist joins our lineup this year — now that it’s in national distribution, it’s time to showcase the brand on a huge media stage.”

Last modified: January 22. 2003 12:00A