Pepsi aims to tango with rum, shrugs Coke off

The brand has positioned itself as a better partner to rum, taking a direct shot at Coca-Cola.

Pepsi has put on its bartending hat, and is here to tell you what suits your rum best. It’s Pepsi.

Under ‘Better with Pepsi’ campaign, the brand has taken a direct dig at rival Coca-Cola, challenging its age-old partnership with rum. In a series of ‘covert’ ads, Pepsi has carved its imagery on the labels of Bacardi and Captain Morgan rum bottles. 

Rum and Coke are easily one of the most popular bar calls. But as per Pepsi, who’ve done their research it seems, 56% of consumers prefer Pepsi to Coke as a mixer with dark or spiced rum. 

As per some media reports, the rum brands have not had anything to do with the ads. 

In a bid to promote the Rum-Pepsi combo, the brand has offered overseas customers discounts on buying the two together. The promotions will feature taglines such as ‘Is your rum OK?’ and ‘Finally, the cola your rum has been asking for’.

Interestingly, this could be the last time Pepsi’s logo is spotted on ads, since the brand is undergoing a logo change soon.

The ‘Better With Pepsi’ campaign was first launched in 2021 where the brand conveniently positioned itself next to burgers, and even Pizzas. Last month, the campaign even pulled in Hot Dogs.