The Situation
Pepsi Co’s Brisk Iced Tea division targets urban Millennials with offbeat, character-driven marketing that has very little to do with “refreshment” or “flavor”. The tagline “kinda out there” says it all.
To reach these consumers, Brisk partnered with ESPN to produce a slam dunk basketball tournament/show called City Slam. They even released an exclusive, limited-time only new flavor – Pineapple Passion Fruit – to help promote the City Slam event.
Part of the sponsorship included an ESPN media buy, so Brisk needed a new character developed ASAP to appear in an ad. There were no “rules” - Brisk just need something offbeat, and needed it done quickly.
The Solution
Meet John “Piney” Juan, the living, breathing iteration of Brisk’s Pineapple Passion Fruit flavor. Concept, created and shot in an accelerated four week time-period, Piney not only stared in Brisk’s sole broadcast spot for 2015, he even made appearances at the City Slam events themselves, turning what could have been a one-off TV spot character into a branded entertainment experience.
The Results
By encouraging the clients to go with a costumed character vs. animation, I was able to create a personality that could appear at live events, generating considerably more attention for Brisk than the paid media alone could have.
Media covering the events loved the character, making him a focal point of reports, increasing the Brisk’s exposure and branding at each event.
What I Learned
Do your homework on your idea. I sourced inflatable costume vendors and made some quick phones calls BEFORE I pitched the idea to anyone. That way I could tell them it wasn't just an funny idea - it was as funny idea that could be done on time and in budget.
The air-powered inflatable industry is full of extremely nice people…who are extremely protective of their trade secrets.
You can film a spot in a downpour, and still make it look like a sunny day.
There are professional inflatable mascot performers, and they’re very good at their job.