omehow, every time I see the @ Pepsi Atom ad, I'm reminded of Thums Up," Ashok Lalla, global head of digital marketing at software major Infosys, tweeted on Tuesday. Anybody would agree.The launch campaign of Pepsi Atom has brought spoof advertising back to the cola war turf after years as PepsiCo seeks to take on the country's top cola brand Thums Up with its new cola brand that is stronger and fizzier than Pepsi. While the jury is still out on Atom's advertising strategy, industry and marketing experts say PepsiCo will find it extremely difficult to dislodge homegrown Thums Up, which has survived even its owner Coca-Cola's efforts to kill it in the late '90s.
"Thums Up has remained at the top with or without marketing support," says Ramesh Chauhan, who created the brand 36 years back before selling it to Coca-Cola in 1993 for Rs 186 crore. "I don't have to say this: Thums Up is established at the top, whoever the competitors are," he adds.
Biryani with Thums Up is almost a staple diet in Andhra Pradesh, one of the three largest cola markets in the country. This is the second time PepsiCo is trying to destabilise Thums Up, which has the strongest carbonation among all beverages. It had spiked its flagship cola Pepsi with extra fizz in Andhra Pradesh four years ago. The move didn't work.
Atom looks like a more serious attack. PepsiCo says it's its biggest launch in recent years. And it has debuted by directly taking pot shots at Thums Up. "The on-air ad campaign projects the more relevant and relatable definition of masculinity, as opposed to mindless action," says Deepika Warrier, VP — beverage marketing at PepsiCo.
