Pepsi's Super Bowl ad

Durandal · Post by **Durandal** » 2004-01-23 08:05pm

USA Today wrote:NEW YORK — A new sort of Pepsi Generation will get air time on the Super Bowl: music downloaders.

Some 20 teens sued by the Recording Industry Association of America, which accuses them of unauthorized downloads, will appear in a Pepsi-Cola (PEP) ad that kicks off a two-month offer of up to 100 million free — and legal — downloads from Apple's iTunes, the leading online music seller. The sassy ad, to be seen by Super Bowl's 88 million viewers on Feb 1, is a wink at the download hot button. Pepsi hopes the promotion will connect its flagship cola, as well as Sierra Mist and Diet Pepsi, with teens who've shown more affinity for bottled water, energy drinks and the Internet.

The ad identifies the teens as a "few of the kids sued for downloading music free off the Internet." RIAA has filed 914 lawsuits since it began cracking down in September, including 532 this week.

Annie Leith, a 14-year-old from Staten Island, appears with other downloaders in the ad, which features music by Green Day. The band cut a special version of the 1966 Bobby Fuller Four hit I Fought the Law for the ad, by BBDO, New York. In the ad, Leith holds a Pepsi and proclaims: "We are still going to download music for free off the Internet." Then the announcer says how: "Announcing the Pepsi iTunes Giveaway."

"It's all in good spirit," says Dave Burwick, chief marketer, Pepsi, North America. "This has been a huge cultural phenomenon. It's highly relevant and topical for consumers. We're turning people to buying music online vs. stealing it online."

Leith, whose favorite artist is Jay-Z, says she no longer makes unauthorized downloads and is excited to appear on the Super Bowl. "I can say I was on TV for something so ridiculous," says Leith, who along with her older sister and younger brother downloaded 950 songs over three years. They settled the lawsuit for $3,000, the average according to RIAA. She'll use some of her undisclosed ad fee to help pay for the settlement.

Damn clever, if you ask me.

Illuminatus Primus · Post by **Illuminatus Primus** » 2004-01-23 08:08pm

Such open "fuck off"s to the RIAA show how poorly their side of the culture war is going.

Poor fucks.

Joe · Post by **Joe** » 2004-01-23 08:10pm

Cool.

On the other hand, you gotta admit, the RIAA's got a great marketing strategy going too. I mean, what could be better for hooking the coveted teen demographic than suing members of it for their life savings and more?

Master of Ossus · Post by **Master of Ossus** » 2004-01-23 08:14pm

While I agree with Pepsi that the commercial is both provocative and relevant, I'm also not sure how much it's going to manage to increase sales of Pepsi. I don't think it will be an effective advertisement in that sense, but I do think that it might help their image among teens.

Durandal · Post by **Durandal** » 2004-01-23 08:27pm

Master of Ossus wrote:While I agree with Pepsi that the commercial is both provocative and relevant, I'm also not sure how much it's going to manage to increase sales of Pepsi. I don't think it will be an effective advertisement in that sense, but I do think that it might help their image among teens.

Promotions like this don't really enter into your conscious decision-making, I think. But if you've seen a ton of commercials on TV for free music in 1 of every 3 bottles of Pepsi, and you're at the grocery store deciding what to buy, you'll lean toward the Pepsi without realizing it, assuming it's priced competitively with Coke.