Pepsi says Oh Yes Abhi! to young talent at Pepsi IPL

PepsiCo, plans to leverage the Pepsi IPL platform to celebrate and promote ‘Young Talent’. Pepsi has always been associated with the youth and their irreverence and impatience to get everything Oh Yes Abhi! Pepsi is taking this association to a new level, this Pepsi IPL, through its mega campaign with TVCs featuring their cricket celebrities. Cricketers MS Dhoni and Virat Kohli are Pepsi endorsers and will be seen in the TVCs. Pepsi has also announced a sum of Rs.10,00,000/- for the Pepsi Emerging Player Award at the tournament.

Deepika Warrier, Vice President - Marketing, PepsiCo India said, “Pepsi is an iconic brand that has always celebrated India’s aspirations, dreams and attitudes. Our latest campaign is a salute to this attitude and confidence of the ‘now’ generation, backed by the stalwarts. Our commitment to create a gateway of opportunities for Emerging Talent has been a key focus this year. In February, we announced our association with MTV for the launch of Pepsi MTV Indies and we will also leverage the Pepsi IPL platform to create opportunities like the 7UP DanceUP and @ThatPepsiIntern this season to celebrate the passion of youth, offering emerging talent a chance to shine at the Pepsi IPL.”

The Pepsi Emerging Player Award has been instituted by Pepsi in partnership with BCCI to promote emerging stars at the tournament. The Pepsi IPL has been a breeding ground for new talent, where many fresh faces have honed their skills and found international recognition. Pepsi hopes to promote more such players through the Pepsi Emerging Player Award. Bright new faces below the age of 26, with 5 or less ODI matches, and 25 or less IPL matches under their belt will be eligible for this award and the winner will be chosen at the end of the tournament through a mix of a weekly leaderboard, public vote and the selection of the commentators.

“This is the second year for Pepsi as the title sponsors of the biggest annual cricket tournament, the Pepsi IPL. Our long term vision for the tournament focuses on creating value for emerging talent and facilitating their recognition in the sport.” Deepika added.

Setting the tone of the league’s and the brand’s promise for emerging talent, Pepsi’s irreverent and youthful new TVCs sound a pacey, urgent chant of ‘Bhaag’, capturing the passion of cricket enthusiasts. The TVCs personify Pepsi’s “Oh Yes Abhi!” spirit with a narrative that is raw and straight, putting a quirky take on how the India of this day and age cannot, and will not wait to claim what’s theirs!

The films open with two boys running through narrow town alleys, overcoming various hurdles. They look thirsty and impatient as they whiz past a sleepy eyed town. The TVCs unveil further as the two of them bump into players on the grounds, where they claim it’s their time to take the field. The TVCs ends with the stars encouragingly challenging them to bring on their best game.

Talking about the TVC, Agnello Dias, Chief Creative Officer, Taproot said “With Oh Yes Abhi! Pepsi celebrates the restless spirit of impatience in that is driving a new, young generation to experience more and do more in life. The Pepsi IPL is a platform that gives every aspiring a cricketer to break through the ranks and challenge the best in the world. This film dramatizes the unstoppable ambition crackling in every corner of the country, through the prism of one of its greatest sporting passions.”