Pepsi Sets Sail on a Flamingo for #Summergram

There is nothing like a refreshing sip of Pepsi under the blue skies and warm sun of the summer season. Pepsi reminded customers of that with an Instagram campaign and a six-story flamingo. No joke.

Pepsi kicked off summer with #Summergram. The promotion allows customers to use hundreds of summer-themed augmented reality (AR) filters on Instagram. As part of the promotion, QR codes and graphics with pun-packed summer phrases such as “Call Me on My Shell Phone” and “Catching Rays” will be included on 200-million-plus packaged Pepsi products as well as 30 million fountain cups. The #Summergram campaign will also be advertised via commercials and thousands of billboards.

This is a huge commitment for Pepsi. Instagram has displayed trend-setting potential, specifically with young consumers. Soda sales, Pepsi included, are suffering. Pepsi hopes to reverse that development by adopting this strategy to drive young people back to the brand. The campaign also features collaborations with social media influencers Crissy Teigen and DJ Khaled—banking on their presence to engage consumers.

Pepsi launched #Summergram (a national effort) in May with attention-grabbing events in New York City, Chicago, Los Angeles, and Miami. In NYC, a six-story flamingo floatie journeyed around Manhattan to promote the campaign. One can’t help but wonder: Is this Pepsi’s summertime counterpunch to Coca-Cola’s iconic polar bears?