FINALLY! THIS IS WHAT I’VE BEEN WAITING FOR!
Is this my PERFECT campaign?
Effective use of social media that curates response? Check.
Creative and unique artistic vision? Check.
Integration of today’s technology to advance the concept? Check
Expanding the capabilities of Net Art? Check
Use of augmented reality? BONUS!
Promotion through an influencer? BONUS!
While born and raised with Coca Cola products in my blood, I have to admit that Pepsi really executed its recent marketing campaign to a tee by seamlessly blending various aspects of digital marketing with a unique visual concept. Collaborating with “Gif-iti” artists Insa, the installation brought physical paintings to life by treating them as a gif compilation. Exactly like the frame by frame nature of a gif, the 13 foot painting was treated in the same way by using 96 cameras to shoot 3 murals from every angle with each perspective being painted 24 times. The enormous amount of labor used to create all the frames really elevated the physical paintings beyond its typical capabilities. Insa’s mobile app then allowed the audience to view the piece in motion as it stitched the shots together.
While the art seems innovative and ground breaking, the concept for each mural was actually curated and collected from us! (well maybe not me because #ShareACoke) The compositions were visual interpretations of tweets from Pepsi Max fans. This marketing research through the use of social media was able to effectively capture recurring themes and implement them into the forefront of their strategy. Additionally, capitalizing on their brand’s history of using influencers, specifically thriving off musicians, Pepsi’s decision to include Charlie XCX was appropriate to convey the fun, energetic, and cool nature of the project and product.
Pepsi also effectively incorporated an emerging Net Art theme of offline and online. With technology being a developing medium for art, Pepsi’s installation invites viewers to co-exist within the physical space but also participate in the digital space. As the definition of Net Art continues to develop, artists are constantly caught in that limbo of emerging completely into the digital and how to bring digital into real life, physical experiences.
This project really combines many rising trends in net art and perfectly aligns them with top notch digital marketing strategy. By choosing to highlight the artistic process in the video advertisement, Pepsi also invites and involves those who are not able to view the mural in person and gives them a taste (pun intended) of Pepsi Max.