I have a plan to bring back Pepsi Blue
Remember 2002?
Prince Michael II, My Big Fat Greek Wedding, Kmart, Justin
and Britney, No Child Left Behind. In some ways, the world has changed a great
deal (i.e. Kelly Clarkson). In
other ways, it hasn’t (R.Kelly). Some things that got their start that year – like the New England
Patriots’ dynasty – are still going strong. Others – like Pepsi Blue – are but
distant memories.
Although I would have preferred the Patriots’ Super Bowl win
to be the blip in history, unfortunately it was Pepsi Blue that got the hook
after just two years. But I have an idea, a grand vision to revive it just
in time for the holiday season.
Coca-Cola controls the soft drink market during Christmas. Historians
even argue that their advertisements in the 1920s and 1930s helped shape Santa
Claus into the chunky, red, jiggly jingler we know today. Their red cans and polar
bears have further entrenched them as the unofficial pop of Christmas.
You may be skeptical as to why a berry-flavored cola would be
brought out during Christmastime when it has to compete with a holiday mainstay
and its ideal marketability would probably come in the summer anyway. It’s a
fair point, but I can explain my reasoning in two words:
Elvis Presley.
The King added blue to the Christmas color wheel when his
rendition of Billy Hayes and Jay W. Johnson’s “Blue Christmas” became a commercial
smash in 1957. So imagine what kind of
marketing campaign Pepsi could whip up if they used Elvis’ voice.
Picture this:
It’s December 24, 2003. A nine year old boy is desperately trying
to stay awake all night to catch a glimpse of Santa Claus. He goes downstairs
in his pajamas in the middle of the night for a drink and finds Pepsi Blue in
the fridge. He opens a bottle, and while he’s sipping it, in comes Santa. The
kid is floored, and Santa asks the kid for a sip of his Pepsi Blue so he too
can stay awake for the rest of the night. The kid obliges, and then Santa
leaves.
The next year, the kid tries to stay up all night to see
Santa again. He goes downstairs to get a drink, but there’s no Pepsi Blue. No pop
at all. [cue “Blue Christmas”] He plops down on the couch and eventually falls asleep
waiting for Santa.
A montage of the next several Christmases all go similarly, as
year after year the boy tries unsuccessfully to stay up to see Santa.
Eventually he gets older and stops believing that Santa still exists. So on December
24, 2017, the 23 year old wakes up in the middle of the night and goes to the
kitchen for a drink. He opens the fridge to find a small package wrapped in
shiny blue and silver paper. Curious, he opens it to find a six-pack of Pepsi
Blue bottles. His eyes light up immediately. He tears open the box, pops the
cap off, and takes a swig. As he pulls the bottle away from his lips, he smiles
and the camera pans out as Elvis croons “I'll have a blue, blue, blue, blue
Christmas.”
So that’s my idea.
Pepsi should set the return of Pepsi Blue for December 25 with
a little inspiration from Elvis. I would also be willing to bet that the buzz surrounding
the new campaign would definitely eat into Coke’s share of Christmas revenue.