Pepsi Advertisement Analysis

Advertisements are used by both big and small companies extensively. At their core these advertisements main objective is to get an audience to buy whatever they are selling. With that in mind it makes sense for the smaller unknown companies to heavily run ads so that people can understand its product. However industry giants like Pepsi and Coca Cola run ads like we are not familiar with their products and it raises the question of why even bother? Part of the answer will always be money as every ad showing either product entices consumers into drinking them and buying more. Another reason is competition between the two; on who has the better more popular product. Sometimes these ads will directly reference the other. These types of ads often appeal to the human nature of dominance and

With that it is clear that the need for dominance surely is not the only thing Pepsi uses in its ads, so what else is there? A need that goes right along with dominance would be the need for affiliation. As a Pepsi drinker this ad appeals to the need for affiliation according to Jib fowles as “the need to adhere and remain loyal to a friend” (page 79). If Pepsi has been inside your house for as long as you can remember this ad reminds you that a switch now would be a betrayal. Pepsi knows its fans are incredibly loyal as is Coke’s. However there is a market that waivers from side to side not fully committed to either. This ad attacks that group with the need for affiliation. Humans often want to be on the winning side or be with the majority and this ad clearly shows Pepsi as the better product. Jon Russel of The next web states that “Advertising that directly mentions a competitor is always a bit risky but this daring creation… is pure genius”. Using another company’s brand invites a rebuttal but at the same time it shows Pepsi has no fear from Coke as it ran the ad knowing