Pepsi and the (Coca-Cola) Polar Bear

I really don't want to love Pepsi's 2026 Super Bowl ad.

After all, I'm a former Coca-Cola employee, and I'm still a shareholder!

No, I really don't want to love Pepsi's 2026 Super Bowl ad, directed by Taika Waititi and featuring both him and Coca-Cola's famous polar bear.

But I do!

Having one of Coca-Cola's most cherished distinctive assets (the polar bear) take the Pepsi Challenge... and confidently choosing Pepsi?

Then going to therapy so he can understand his conflicting emotions...

... only to have a loved one indicate "It's okay to love Pepsi more"?

(AND a Coldplay-scandal reference thrown in for good measure, without any of the shame or embarrassment of being "caught on camera"?!?)

Will this ad make Pepsi the number one soda in the US? Absolutely not. It's almost impossible for a single commercial or ad campaign to do that for any given brand.

But Pepsi is only the fourth-ranked soda brand in the US (by market share, behind Coca-Cola, Dr Pepper, and Sprite). So, reminding people that Pepsi exists and that it's a fun and playful brand when they otherwise wouldn't have thought of Pepsi at all is worth a lot.

Does it make sense for Pepsi to rely so heavily on one of Coca-Cola's most distinctive assets (the polar bear) in an ad?

I'd argue, in this case, it does. Coca-Cola, as the market leader, would be foolish to mention a competitor in any of its advertising. As a challenger brand, however, Pepsi has the licence to "poke the bear" and earn some attention, and this spot does just that.

It's funny, memorable, highly shareable, and (according to System1) already testing very well.

Credit where credit is due... this is very well done.