Pepsi Gets Ready for Blockbuster Summer

New Promotions, New Products, New Packages, Including Chance to ‘Play for a Billion' on The WB

PURCHASE, NY – (April 9, 2003) – It'll be a summer like no other – with music that's never been heard before, TV that's never been done before and the chance for one lucky consumer to become a billionaire. From music and entertainment firsts to new product and packaging news, Pepsi-Cola North America today announced a powerful lineup of summer marketing plans:

  • The "Pepsi Play for a Billion" promotion, giving 1,000 consumers the chance to play for $1 billion (with $1 million guaranteed) live nationally on The WB

  • New music from some of the world's hottest recording artists – and only from Pepsi

  • Mountain Dew's "Hulk-sized" tie-in with Universal Pictures' "The Hulk"

  • New products including Mountain Dew LiveWire and Pepsi Vanilla

  • New packages to give consumers what they want – the way they want it.

"We're out to spark excitement our way – with big ideas and big activities," said Dave Burwick, SVP and Chief Marketing Officer of Pepsi-Cola North America. "We're blazing new paths in music and entertainment and pulling out the stops with daring promotions, new products and new packaging."

Here are the details:

Pepsi Play for a Billion
Who wants to be a billionaire? Until now, that question was out of the question. Pepsi has joined forces with AOL Time Warner's The WB Network to produce a live television show in which a contestant will have the chance to win $1 billion.

The show guarantees a $1 million winner who will then have the chance to win $1 billion. There is a one in 1000 chance that the $1 billion will be awarded.

The show, set to air in September, will be the culmination of Pepsi's summer promotion, "Pepsi Play for a Billion," which hits stores May 1.

The 1,000 contestants on the show will be selected through the Pepsi Play for a Billion sweepstakes. On the show, they will play a game of chance followed by a nail-biting elimination process to determine the $1 million prizewinner. The $1 million winner will then have a chance to win $1 billion without forfeiting the $1 million prize.

If won, the $1 billion prize will be awarded in the form of a 40-year annuity with a balloon payment in the final year, or the contestant may instead elect to receive a lump sum payment representing the present value of the annuity.

Pepsi has taken out an insurance policy in the event that someone wins the billion-dollar prize. SCA Promotions, Inc., of Dallas, through its insurance affiliate, arranged for a Berkshire Hathaway insurance company to underwrite the full value of the billion-dollar prize.

Diplomatic Productions' Matti Leshem and Michael Davies – best known as the producers of "Who Wants to be a Millionaire" – will produce the show.

"It's a tremendous thrill to think that we could be part of the largest cash giveaway in game show history – this will be edge-of-your seat TV, giving 1,000 Pepsi consumers the chance to play for $1 billion," said Pepsi's Burwick. "Plus, it's great to be working with the AOL Time Warner family – and most closely with The WB – as strategic partners. Their viewers are youthful, just like our consumers, which allows us plenty of opportunities to make this program a success."

"The WB couldn't be prouder to partner with Pepsi, whose brand is synonymous around the world for high quality, style and everything young," said Jed Petrick, president and chief operating officer, The WB. "Our brands are a perfect fit with a history of defining pop culture and this live broadcast will energize the launch of The WB's fall season. We're equally thrilled to be working with Michael Davies, who knows how to produce event television and create buzz all over the country."

"We are thrilled to partner with Pepsi and The WB on what is bound to be a significant television event," said Diplomatic's Davies and Leshem. "The idea captured our imagination as soon as we heard it, as we are sure it will the American public."

Pepsi will run television advertising in support of the promotion, which will be produced by BBDO New York. AOL Time Warner will leverage its television, publishing and online assets to publicize the promotion and the show. The promotional idea was created by TLP, Wilton, Conn., and OMD New York, a division of Omnicom, brought the broadcast elements together.

Yahoo! will develop the "Pepsi Play for a Billion" promotional microsite and engineer the database solution to enable consumers to play for the prizes. This is the third under-the-cap offline to online promotion involving Yahoo!, following PepsiStuff.com promotions in 2000 and 2001. Pepsi also will advertise on Yahoo!'s front page and across its entertainment properties, including Launch.

New Music From Hot Artists – Pepsi Smash and Pepsi First Taste
Also as part of the Pepsi/AOL Time Warner relationship, a new prime time television show titled "Pepsi Smash" will begin a six-week run on The WB in July. Pepsi Smash is a one-hour show featuring musical performances from some of the biggest artists across all musical genres in front of a live audience. As many as five artists will perform on each show, and viewers will have the opportunity to see up close and personal segments with artists backstage as well as behind-the-scenes footage of artists in the U.S. and around the world. Produced by Joel Gallen of Tenth Planet Productions, the show also will feature a chart rundown and music news.

On radio, as part of its relationship with Sony Music, Pepsi advertisements will debut segments of previously unreleased music on the airwaves days before stations will have clearance to air the full-length songs in a summer promotion called "Pepsi First Taste." The campaign will include new music from some of Sony's biggest artists in several different musical genres. Promotional TV spots begin running in April on MTV and BET and the radio campaign begins in May.

The Hulk and Mountain Dew
Pepsi's Mountain Dew and Sierra Mist brands will partner with Universal Pictures for the highly anticipated summer release of The Hulk, a big-screen version of one of Marvel Comics' most memorable and popular superheroes. In mid-June, to celebrate this summer's blockbuster movie, Mountain Dew will launch a Hulk-sized promotional program on 150 million packages of Mountain Dew, Mountain Dew Code Red and Sierra Mist.

Consumers can win grand Hulk-sized prizes including a "Hulked-Out Home Entertainment System" that features a 56" wide screen TV, sound system and DVD player. Secondary prizes include a limited edition Mountain Dew Xbox and The Hulk video game or a "Hulk-sized" amount of Mountain Dew and/or Sierra Mist. The program will be supported with a Hulk-themed Mountain Dew commercial and in-store displays.

Get Spotted Drinking Aquafina and Win
Beginning in mid-July, Aquafina, the nation's best-selling brand of bottled water, will launch the category's largest-ever-national consumer promotion. The new program, "Aquafina Pure Luck," offers consumers a chance to win one of more than 40,000 prizes simply by being spotted drinking Aquafina or Aquafina Essentials assisted by one of two Aquafina-branded blimps that will travel to more than 60 cities throughout the United States. Consumers also can participate via an online sweepstakes or through local radio contests and account-specific in-store programs. The program will be supported with TV, radio and Internet advertising as well as in-store displays.

New Products for Summer and Beyond
Mountain Dew LiveWire, an orange-ignited Mountain Dew, will hit store shelves for a limited time – between Memorial Day and Labor Day. Pepsi also plans to roll out Pepsi Vanilla, a vanilla-flavored cola. Set to appear in stores late this summer, Pepsi Vanilla will be an enlivened, youthful, fresh take on Vanilla with a smooth flavor.

Package Innovation
Bold new package graphics for Pepsi-Cola and Caffeine Free Pepsi-Cola, which began hitting store shelves last month, now are being reinforced at the point of sale, on merchandising materials and on cold drink equipment.

Pepsi also is working with its bottling partners and packaging suppliers to reinvest system cost savings in the form of package innovation. The company is testing the production efficiencies of running new refrigerator-friendly can configurations, including three-by-four "Fridge Mate" 12-packs. Already receiving favorable reviews in many parts of the country – particularly in the mass-merchandising channel – are new 12-packs of half-liter PET bottles, which provide distinct consumer benefits in terms of individual portion preference and portability.

Pepsi-Cola North America (www.pepsi.com), headquartered in Purchase, N.Y., is the $4 billion refreshment beverage unit of PepsiCo, Inc. (www.pepsico.com) in the United States and Canada. Its U.S. brands include Pepsi, Diet Pepsi, Pepsi Twist, Pepsi ONE, Pepsi Blue, Wild Cherry Pepsi, Mountain Dew, Mountain Dew Code Red, Mug, Sierra Mist, Slice, Aquafina, SoBe, Dole single-serve juices and FruitWorks. The company also makes and markets North America's #1 ready-to-drink iced teas and coffees, respectively, via joint ventures with Lipton and Starbucks.

Pepsi ‘Play for a Billion'
Fact Sheet

Pepsi has joined forces with AOL Time Warner's The WB Network to produce a live television show in which a contestant will have the chance to win $1 billion. The show guarantees a $1 million winner who will then have the chance to play for $1 billion.

There is a one in 1000 chance that the $1 billion will be awarded.

The show, set to air in September, will be the culmination of Pepsi's summer promotion, "Pepsi Play for a Billion," which hits stores May 1.

Here's how to play:

  • Beginning May 1 on specially marked Pepsi, Mountain Dew and Sierra Mist products, check for a sweepstakes entry code or $15 instant win message under the caps of 20-ounce, 1-liter and 2-liter products, on 12- and 24-packs, or on stickers on select fountain cups. (One million $15 instant win messages will be seeded and there will be no "please try again" messages.) Consumers may request a game piece without purchase by writing to the address indicated on the package.

  • If you find a sweepstakes entry code, enter the code on the secure web site www.billionsweeps.com or mail it to the sweepstakes entry address on the package.

  • In the sweepstakes, 1,000 consumers will be randomly selected throughout the summer and offered a trip to appear on the live television broadcast.

The 1,000 sweepstakes winners will appear on the show and play a game of chance followed by a nail-biting elimination process to determine the $1 million prizewinner. The $1 million winner will then have a chance to win $1 billion without forfeiting the $1 million prize.

If won, the $1 billion prize will be awarded in the form of a 40-year annuity with a balloon payment in the final year, or the contestant may instead elect to receive a lump sum payment representing the present value of the annuity.

Pepsi has taken out an insurance policy in the event that someone wins the billion-dollar prize. SCA Promotions, Inc., of Dallas, through its insurance affiliate, arranged for a Berkshire Hathaway insurance company to underwrite the full value of the billion-dollar prize.

Michael Davies, best known as the producer of "Who Wants to be a Millionaire," will produce the show.

Return to Main Page