Pepsi teams up with Zakir Khan to celebrate Friendship Day with personalized messages

The campaign leverages technology to deliver personalized messages from Zakir Khan to friends who comment on his post seeking help for their friends in the friendzone.

In an exciting and irreverent twist for Friendship Day, Pepsi® has teamed up with stand-up icon Zakir Khan to inspire friends to "Rise Up" from the friendzone situation. The campaign aims to empower the youth to be true friends to each other and help their buddies break free from the dreaded 'friendzone.'

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The campaign leverages technology to deliver personalized messages from Zakir Khan to friends who comment on his post seeking help for their friends in the friendzone. The messages serve as pro-tips that can be shared among friends to provide support and encouragement.

In the campaign video, Zakir Khan adds his signature comedic flair while motivating the young generation to overcome the friendzone, stating, "Yeh jo friendzone hai na, yeh danger zone hai. Isse nikalo, bhaago, aur koi dost fassa hai toh use bachchao. Kyuki doston ki bhi zimmedari hoti hai. Friendzone ke chakkar se you've got to Rise Up Baby!"

Shailja Joshi, category lead, Pepsi Cola, PepsiCo India, expressed confidence in Zakir Khan's comedic prowess and popularity resonating with the youth and encouraging them to be there for their friends while enjoying a chilled bottle of Pepsi.

Zakir Khan, thrilled to join Pepsi®, expressed his excitement to be the voice of this campaign that celebrates friendship, self-expression, and embracing one's true self.

Vikram Pandey, national creative director (Spiky), Leo Burnett India, highlighted the campaign's fresh insight into the friendzone and how Zakir Khan's appeal will resonate with friends looking out for each other.

Pepsi® plans to amplify the campaign with a robust marketing strategy, including digital, social media, and influencers. The brand's beverages are available in various pack sizes across retail outlets and e-commerce platforms.