Sharing the idea behind the film, PepsiCo India Category Lead - Cola Saumya Rathor said they wanted to create an unskippable ad that is disruptive with pathbreaking storytelling Nostalgia, technology, and a double dose of one of the most loved superstars Salman Khan; Pepsi’s summer campaign for 2022 is one of the most interesting ad campaigns right now. As shared by the brand, it has garnered around 250 million impressions on digital as of now. The internet too seems obsessed with the ad and there are hundreds of organic and inorganic memes flooding the web. Now if one wonders why it looks like a subtle CRED ad, the answer is because it has been created by the same team of creatives – whose projects are possibly the most debated in today’s time. It has been written by Devaiah Bopanna, Puneet Chadha, and Deep Joshi; and directed by Ayappa KM. PepsiCo India Category Lead - Cola Saumya Rathor shared the experience of creating the pathbreaking campaign with exchange4media in a recent conversation. “It is for the first time that we worked with Devaiah, Puneet, Deep, and Ayappa. We wanted to create an unskippable ad that is disruptive with pathbreaking storytelling. There are a lot of brands competing in the space and we wanted to be distinctive.”   That’s why a lot of brainstorming went in between the creative and brand team when the idea of merging nostalgia and quirkiness came up from the agency’s end – a signature style that has worked well earlier too. Rathor elaborated, “We did not sit at the table with the idea of creating a nostalgic ad or using Salman Khan in a double role. It came from the creative team and we absolutely loved it.” She added that it took almost three months for the team to come out with the final film, which not only showcased great creativity in terms of writing but also using technology.” On being asked what would help the ad stand out amidst the clutter of summer ads by various competitive brands, Rathor replied, “Pepsi has constantly been pushing the envelope when it comes to storytelling and good content is the driving factor for us. With Salman Khan in an unconventional double role, we have all the right ingredients (for a stand out ad).” The ad is currently being run on television and digital and is also being seen during the Indian Premier League. Speaking about the importance of the latter in the media mix, Rathor quipped, “IPL is one of the most coveted mediums and a high impact property. Our TG definitely watches the league and being there is very important for a brand like ours.” Media buying for the campaign was managed by GroupM. The ad has prompted a hilarious meme fest on social media as well, which Rathor admits was pushed from the brand’s side too. “Meme marketing is very important in today’s time and we have spent on that. But we have seen a number of content creators and meme pages picking the templates and content organically and doing their own take on it. I think it depends on the content as well. If the content is good, memes will happen. But as a brand, it is important to give that initial push to it.”