Pepsi Plans to "Refresh" the World

The Pepsi ad on pg 13 of the 2/7/10 issue of The New York Times describes the “Pepsi Refresh Project,” which has set aside twenty million dollars to fund original ideas that will “refresh,” or better the world.  The possible ideas must belong to one of six very broad categories- health, arts and culture, food and shelter, the planet, the neighborhood, or education. The Pepsi ad refers consumers to the “refresheverything.com” website, which allows one to post an original idea, as well as vote on possible projects which consumers have already submitted.  The ad reads “What Do You Care About?” and ends with the final slogan “Every Pepsi Refreshes the World.”  After reading Practices of Looking, I see the Pepsi ad in a new light; along with its obvious altruism, I see a campaign which appeals to the consumer’s sense of patriotism, creativity, and to his desire to shine as an individual and potential leader in the community.

            With this ad campaign, Pepsi is selling the idea of belonging to a nation or special group of people and attaching concepts of the nation, community, and democracy to drinking Pepsi. The ideological function of this advertisement equates the act of purchasing Pepsi with good citizenship (Sturken and Cartwright 277). The image projected is that Pepsi is dedicated to bettering life in the U.S; after all, it is giving millions of dollars to fund creative projects for that purpose.  Also, Pepsi is proving itself responsive to its consumers; people throughout the United States not only submit the actual projects, but vote, to decide which are most worthwhile and deserving of funding. 

            Pepsi is also constructing an identity for the Pepsi drinker. It is selling a false sense of individuality simultaneously to many people (Sturken and Cartwright 279).  Pepsi is giving the consumer a chance to be creative in the service of the community; by funding the Pepsi drinker’s unique creative endeavor, it is forging a partnership between the individual and the community. Pepsi, which has historically projected the image of being a fresh, new, adventurous drink, as opposed to the more traditional Coke, is now bringing new, adventurous ideas to the community. The marketing of social awareness involves the creation of a system that equates social awareness and coolness as well as social ideas to a particular product (Sturken and Cartwright 297). Pepsi’s message is that if you drink Pepsi, you are “cool” and committed to thinking of ways of improving life.

www.refresheverything.com