CONCEPTS • PROP CREATION • ART & SHOOT DIRECTION
It all started with a shot taken on a phone. And then it snowballed.
Way back when brands using social was in its infancy, Pepsi Max were hardly setting the pace, using formulaic posts that looked like ads, complete with prominent logo in the top left corner of every composition. The analytics showed that this approach just wasn't resonating with the audience, they didn't want to see overtly obvious product ads in their feed and clearly something different was needed to cut through the noise and grab the audience's attention.
Cue the user generated content approach (or more appropriately UGC looking posts).
To promote a collaboration between the magician Dynamo and Max, a bold experiment with a new art direction was conducted. The idea being to create content that looked as if a fan of Max had taken the image on their phone, no polish, no logos in the top corner, not even the full product logo in shot (and this was a decade before the British Airways ads).
With the direction set, the trial image was created. Step one, take a photo in a cafe with a bus rolling past the window, step two, take a separate photo of an open can, step 3, comp the two together and add the promo to the bus, give it a suitable level of grain and depth of field and leave the post with an intriguing line about something magic coming soon...
The post was an instant hit with engagement, likes and comments through the roof in comparison with previous posts. The success of this little iPhone experiment (and a touch of Photoshop) provided the green light for the direction for Max's fresh new social presence.
It wasn't long before multiple posts a week were being created, all practically shot on a phone, keeping post production work to a bare minimum and only when necessary with the remit being any work shouldn't be noticeable. The UGC direction was maintained throughout, playing heavily of Max's "Live For Now" ethos, with many a post showing just how far fans of Max would go to get their preferred cola brand.
Pushing the brand's ethos even further, different props were created cannabalising Max bottles, labels and cans, creating novel uses for the product and even directly engaging with other favourite consumer brands such as Lynx and Pot Noodle, creating conversations about new fragrance and flavour suggestions.
The playful UGC style was also woven through the various activations Max ran throughout the year, working particularly well as they branched further into the football sphere, with the cans taking on a personality of their own helped by a series of player's faces. The foray into football ultimately culminated in Pepsico's multiple brand sponsorship of the UEFA Champions league.
From an experiment on an iPhone, through to a fully fledged publishing strategy, the UGC approach was a hit, clearly resonating with an audience that saw a brand that, compared to many other FMCG brands at the time, was edgier, truly embracing the brand ethos and wasn't afraid to celebrate its fans while being playful with its own image.
The story of the success of the UGC style didn't end with Max. Like dominoes falling, brand after brand from the Pepsico roster were won without pitching, culminating in a stable that included Pepsi Max, Doritos, Mountain Dew, 7up, Cheetos, Gatorade, Walkers/Lay's, Lipton Ice Tea, Quaker Oats, Sun Bites, Tropicana, Copella, Naked Juices, Alvalle and Pop Works.
