Pepsi Max has launched its latest global campaign that brings new signing Jack Grealish together with global football talent, Son Heung-Min, Vini Jr. and Leah Williamson in the ultimate game of street football. The campaign is now live and will roll out across global markets. The hero film – the first chapter in Pepsi Max’s “Where There’s A Ball There’s A Way” campaign – will be supported with social content focusing on each of the four ambassadors.
The global campaign – which launches to coincide with Pepsi Max’s partnership with the UEFA Champions League – aims to demonstrate the power of football to bring enjoyment regardless of how or where it’s played.
The shadow of Wembley’s iconic arch was chosen as the location for the film because it hosts this year’s UEFA Champions League final. The spots contrast a game of street football played outside one of the world’s great stadia and show how a game of football can take place anywhere there is an appetite to play.
It features a group of local Londoners who challenge the Pepsi Max ambassadors to a game of “Keepy-Uppy”. In-spite of the “No Ball Games Allowed” signs hanging over their heads, the Pepsi Max ambassadors accept a challenge from a local street football team and high-octane action ensues.
The resulting game features unreal trick-shots, and creative street freestyle football as the two teams face off. The global stars battle it out in an enthralling keepy-uppy competition against the locals in Wembley outside a traditional London café taken over by Pepsi Max for the occasion.
“Being thirsty for more – Pepsi Max’s philosophy – means feeling that wherever there is a ball, there is an opportunity to find new and unexpected ways to find enjoyment through the game," said Eric Melis, VP of Global Brand Marketing, Carbonated Soft Drinks at PepsiCo. "Whether you’re playing on the biggest stages in the world or on city streets, there’s an opportunity to unlock the enjoyment that it brings”
“This film is the first chapter in our “Where There’s A Ball There’s A Way” campaign as we look to engage with the footballing community and highlight any barriers to access to the sport, remembering always that all you need is a football, the right attitude and you’ve got yourself a game. We’ve got big plans for the rest of the year working both within football itself and within the wider culture around the game.
The film captures jaw-dropping footballing skills. Jack Grealish is captured in slow-motion pulling-off tricks while taking selfies with fans. Son’s cheeky grin and fan-favourite signature “camera” goal celebration also make an appearance. Leah Williamson steps in to save the Pepsi Max team from near defeat while Vini Jr. shows off his skills against the London-based challengers.
The stars are also joined in the action by football icon Karen Carney, who pops-up to commentate on the match that is unfolding on the streets. As the film comes to a close, Legendary Londoner Vinnie Jones appears to go head-to-head with Vini Jr. giving the locals the win against Pepsi Max’s all-star international line-up. He kicks the ball towards Wembley’s iconic arch to finish the game before proclaiming, “There’s only one Vinnie J”.
The film ends with Vini Jr. revealing that he is wearing a jacket that turns into a football which he removes and kicks for the waiting players so they can continue their game.
Going forwards, Pepsi Max’s “Where There’s A Ball There’s A Way” campaign will see the brand unlock unexpected ways to play, both on and off the pitch in the years to come. The campaign will become a platform from which Pepsi Max can challenge the conventions that are holding people back from enjoying more football and will be expressed through fashion collaborations, entertainment and social content.
Diablo, the producer of disobediently good wines, has inked a partnership with new musical The Devil Wears Prada, which makes its UK debut in London this month.
Diablo (which means "devil" in Spanish) will feature on programmes, and competitions will be run to award tickets for the shows, which run until 31 May 2025. Diablo wines will also be poured at Elton John’s Opening Night Gala at the British Museum in London on 1 December, where a bespoke "Diablo" bar will be built.
The Devil Wears Prada Musical is a new stage adaptation of the popular 2006 film, itself based on Lauren Weisberger's novel.
The Diablo wine brand, first launched in 2018, is growing at a phenomenal rate in the UK, +33.4 per cent by value in the past 52 weeks. It has successfully introduced new wines into its portfolio, with the original Diablo Dark Red being joined by Chardonnay, and most recently Purple Malbec, Volcanic Cab and Deep Carmenere, all listed in major multiple grocers.
Diablo is attracting a distinctive younger and more affluent shopper (45 per cent of its shoppers are under 45 versus 14 per cent of shoppers across total still wine).
“This is an incredibly exciting time for the brand," said Javiera Moller, Senior Brand Manager at Concha y Toro UK. "The Devil Wears Prada is an iconic and much-loved story, now brought to life on the London stage with a star cast and a great score by Elton John, and the 'devil' connection makes it a perfect partner for our brand.
“Our audience are disruptive, intelligent, stylish and early adopters of brands and trends. This partnership gives us the chance to activate with our target consumers, and build the profile of an already-thriving wine brand.”
From its initial launch in 2018 with Diablo Dark Red blend, the brand now has six wines in multiple retail distribution in the UK:
Diablo Dark Red
Diablo Volcanic Cabernet Sauvignon
Diablo Purple Malbec
Diablo Deep Carmenere
Diablo Golden Chardonnay
Diablo Crystal Sauvignon Blanc
The brand has grown from £2 million in retail sales value in the UK less than five years ago to be worth over £20 million today (RSV).
Scandinavian Tobacco Group UK has introduced this year’s limited-edition pack for its ever-popular Henri Wintermans Half Corona brand, which is available to retailers now.
The Henri Wintermans Half Corona is easily the biggest brand in the medium / large segment and is now the UK’s fifth biggest selling cigar in value terms, with annual sales worth £16.3m. This new limited edition “Gentleman” pack adds a personal touch to the brand and celebrates its long heritage and continuing success, designed in a timeless pin stripe suit with the logo and information stitched into the fabric, which reflects both the aspirational nature of the product and the attention to detail that goes into crafting these fine cigars. Despite the changes to the packaging, the cigars inside of course remain the same.
“Retailers certainly won’t need me to tell them that sales of larger cigars go up in the build up to Christmas when adult smokers are in celebratory mood and typically have more time to enjoy them,” said STG’s UK Head of Marketing, Prianka Jhingan. “Our Henri Wintermans Half Corona is always a big seller at this time of year and this limited issue Gentleman’s edition pack should only increase sales further. My advice to retailers is to stock up on it, as it is easily the UK’s best-selling medium / large cigar and has a loyal following due to its quality blend and heritage.”
KP Snacks today announces the latest addition to its market-leading PMP range with the launch of Space Raiders Saucy BBQ £1.25 PMP. Available in stores from early November, the new launch combines the fastest-growing Space Raiders flavour with the strength of the £1.25 PMP format.
Capitalising on the growth of “barbecue” flavours, the new launch is well-positioned to engage shoppers and drive impulse sales, with 57% of impulse shoppers purchasing PMPs. The £1.25 PMP format is strong and KP Snacks’ £1.25 PMP portfolio is growing ahead of the segment at +5.2 per cent (vs +4.2 per cent), bolstering sales. By launching Space Raiders Saucy BBQ £1.25 PMP, KP Snacks is tapping into the strength of the segment and appealing to consumer demand for great value and clear pricing.
The new PMP expands the Space Raiders portfolio. Worth £25m, the Space Raiders range includes Space Raiders 40p PMPs, the UK’s number one best-value singles PMP, as well as existing £1.25 PMPs: Beef and Pickled Onion.
“At KP Snacks, we are committed to delivering NPD in the right formats and flavours to support our retailer partners and drive consumer demand,” said Stuart Graham, Head of Convenience and Impulse. “The launch of Space Raiders Saucy BBQ £1.25 PMP leverages the strength of this format and the popularity of barbecue flavours to drive impulse sales.”
Gordon’s is today unveiling its new ATL campaign, "Mix It Up". The ad, which shows consumers choosing to pace their consumption by switching between Gordon’s Pink and Gordon’s Pink 0.0%, has been created to empower consumers to moderate their consumption in a way that works for them.
Mix It Up is the first Gordon’s campaign to bring both Gordon’s Pink and Gordon’s Pink alcohol-free variants together in one advert. With 36 per cent of drinkers currently pacing their consumption with soft drinks and 49 per cent of alcohol-free occasions also featuring alcohol, the campaign offers those looking to moderate an option that doesn’t compromise on taste.
The new TVC invites viewers to join an evening out with a group of friends. As the group begin to drink their Gordon’s & Tonic, the screen splits in two to visually demonstrate how they choose to pace their night by switching between Gordon’s Pink and Gordon’s Pink 0.0%.
In addition to the new TVC, a suite of assets have been created to bring the campaign to life across social and digital channels. Whilst in the same universe as the commercial, the social content hero’s Gordon's long-term partner Maya Jama who brings to life how she chooses to mix it up for followers.
“When creating this campaign, we wanted to demonstrate that moderation didn’t have to be a binary decision between having something alcoholic or alcohol free," said Tayara Sousa Linke, Global Head of Marketing. "We know that this perceived choice impacts people’s decision to moderate, so, through Mix It Up, we wanted to highlight that it is possible to seamlessly switch between the two and enjoy the same great taste of Gordon’s Pink whilst moderating with Gordon’s Pink Alcohol Free.”
The new creative will run across BVOD, Social and Digital channels in GB.
Scandinavian Tobacco Group UK is pleased to introduce this year’s limited-edition pack for its ever-popular Henri Wintermans Half Corona brand, which is available to retailers now.
The Henri Wintermans Half Corona is easily the biggest brand in the medium / large segment and is now the UK’s fifth biggest selling cigar in value terms, with annual sales worth £16.3m. This new limited edition "Gentleman" pack adds a personal touch to the brand and celebrates its long heritage and continuing success, designed in a timeless pin stripe suit with the logo and information stitched into the fabric, which reflects both the aspirational nature of the product and the attention to detail that goes into crafting these fine cigars. Despite the changes to the packaging, the cigars inside of course remain the same.
“Retailers certainly won’t need me to tell them that sales of larger cigars go up in the build up to Christmas when adult smokers are in celebratory mood and typically have more time to enjoy them," said STG’s UK Head of Marketing, Prianka Jhingan. "Our Henri Wintermans Half Corona is always a big seller at this time of year and this limited issue Gentleman’s edition pack should only increase sales further. My advice to retailers is to stock up on it, as it is easily the UK’s best-selling medium / large cigar and has a loyal following due to its quality blend and heritage.”