February 15 – Coca-Cola may have the World Cup rights but Pepsi own Lionel Messi, Marcelo, Tono Kroos and US women’s star Carli Lloyd. It is a classic global event brand vs the cult of the personality marketing war. Coke have the greatest show on earth, Pepsi have the greatest showman, and some of the next best too.
Under the hashtag #LoveItLiveIt, Pepsi’s all-star squad are sharing memories of their career-defining moments on Facebook.
After 12 years and 100 goals, Messi remembers his first Champions League goal as an 18 year-old.
Kroos describes the pride he feels knowing his record-breaking achievements on the pitch are enabling him to change the lives of others off it.
Brazilian defender Marcelo pays a heartfelt tribute to his grandfather as a source of support and inspiration.
Carli Lloyd, recalls the moment she was dropped from the under-21 national team and the impact it had on her mental steel and drive to succeed.
With the World Cup nearing, Pepsi’s campaign is gets as close to ambushing Coca-Cola as is feasibly possible without infringing on Coke’s rights.
Not all Pepsi’s marketing is star driven. PepsiCo is an official partner of the UEFA Campions League. So far Coke hasn’t moved to take the fizz out of Pepsi’s campaigns around those rights.
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