It’s not something Atlanta residents are used to seeing, being that Atlanta is the home of Coca Cola and its signature red and white logo. It’s something they are quite proud of. You don’t find many places that serve it, and those that do, there may be a slight quiver in the voice of the server who has to ask, “Is Pepsi okay?” Not to mention that Coke is so important in the South that there is a whole “World” in Atlanta dedicated Coke and their various soft drinks sold around the globe.
But now that Atlanta is hosting Super Bowl LIII, there’s a new brand throwing it’s weight and color around in town. New York based Pepsi Cola, and their signature blue and red logo, is the official sponsor of the National Football League, and because the biggest game in the NFL is being played in Atlanta, one of the country’s biggest names in beverages came with it. And they did not come quietly.
Pepsi Cola bought several Atlanta billboards to “paint the town blue” to taunt Coke and let them know and make no mistake that they are in town. It’s hard to drive anywhere around Atlanta and not see Pepsi’s signature blue as a stark contrast to the usual Coke red.
Some of the slogans used in Pepsi’s Atlanta billboard campaign include “Hey Atlanta. Thanks for hosting. We’ll bring the drinks” and “Pepsi in Atlanta. How refreshing.” One of Pepsi’s most high profile Atlanta billboards is on the Downtown Connector. It reads, “Look who’s in town for Super Bowl LIII.” All feature the brand’s signature blue as a striking background, a stark comparison to the usual red seen in Coke’s ads on Atlanta billboards.
The Super Bowl will be played on Sunday, February 3rd at the new Mercedes Benz Stadium, in which Coca Cola is usually sold for Falcons games and Atlanta United matches. But, Pepsi is saying they plan to cover ALL Coke logos throughout the stadium, including those on coolers and fountain machines, as well as banning the sale of bottled Cokes and stripping the labels off of any Dasani water bottles that are sold during the game.
Pepsi has been a sponsor of the NFL for more than a decade, since 2002. However, this is the first time since being the NFL’s official sponsor that they get to serve their products in a stadium where Coca Cola normally holds licensing rights.
Pepsi seems to be enjoying their reign here in Atlanta, and it doesn’t stop with Atlanta’s billboards. They also trolled Coke on Twitter one morning prior to the big game by putting a statue of their founder, Caleb Bradham, beside the statue of Coke’s founder, John Pemberton outside the World of Coke in Downtown Atlanta.
Pepsi’s marketing team had a quick, stealthy photo shoot, making it look as though after nearly a week of taunting, they were calling a gentlemanly truce. They were quick to upload the photo to Twitter, saying “Hey @CocaCola, thanks for being such gracious hosts for #SBLIII this week. We agree #TogetherIsBeautiful so we’d like to get our founders together for a celebratory cheers to declare a temporary #ColaTruce for the day. See you at @WorldofCocaCola soon!”
Another tweet accompanying the photo from Pepsi seemed to echo a completely different sentiment and revert back to teasing rather than a truce. It said, “Hey, @CocaCola, we swung by but it looks like you weren’t in to having us today…that doesn’t feel very #TogetherIsBeautiful. Too bad since it seems our founders thought it was a good idea when we came by to see you this morning.”
This was one of many surprises both beverage companies say they have up their sleeve to taunt each other for the week. Coke representatives say they weren’t given advance notice of the “meeting,” but they played along with the prank. Spokeswoman for Coke, Kate Hartman said, “We are going to welcome them with a Coke and a smile.”
The #TogetherIsBeautiful hashtag that Pepsi is referring to in their tweets is in reference to the newest Coke television commercial that shows different animated people coming together. It is expected to air prior to Sunday’s big game.
Even though Coke products and labels are banned at the Super Bowl, they aren’t laying down and playing dead. Coke has opened a football themed exhibit at the World of Coca Cola, they also say they have plans to light up Coca Cola headquarters in red this weekend, and they have funded free admission for a month at the National Center for Civil and Human Rights, not far from their building. Coke is not alone in their absence from sponsorship of the big game being played on their home turf. According to the Atlanta Journal Constitution, none of Georgia’s big companies are official sponsors of the Super Bowl. And, unfortunately, Atlanta’s home NFL team isn’t in the big game, either. The teams that are playing are coming from the farthest reaches of the country. The Rams from the West Coast, based in Los Angeles, and the Patriots, coming all the way from the deep freeze currently taking over New England.
The other big corporations that didn’t make the cut as official NFL sponsors, but did help prepare the city to host the Super Bowl, include UPS, Chick-fil-A, Mercedes Benz, Holiday Inn/IHG, or Serta Simmons Mattress Company. Just like with Coca Cola, the biggest competitors for these brands are also in town as sponsors for the NFL. They just aren’t making as big a deal as Pepsi, apparently. FedEx, McDonald’s, Ford, Marriott and Sleep Number can all boast official sponsorships with the NFL.
But unlike these rivals, Coke and Pepsi have a long history of taunting each other, dating back decades. The beverage companies have often featured one another in their television commercials, showing employees drinking the competitor’s beverages. Both have commercials that have stood the test of time. Back in the 70’s, Coke featured Pittsburgh Steeler “Mean” Joe Greene giving his jersey to a young fan. Pepsi touted a partnership with the King of Pop, Michael Jackson during his heyday back in the 80s. Another popular theme for the rival’s commercials were blind taste tests between the brands.
In order to highlight their official sponsors and ensure that their sponsor brands stand out, the National Football League has created what they are calling a “clean zone” around Mercedes Benz Stadium with the hope of preventing new advertising by anyone or any brand other than them and their official sponsors.
Ironically, both Coca Cola Headquarters and the World of Coke are inside this so called “clean zone.” Which leads one to wonder what, if anything will be done to the enormous Coke bottle cap outside the World of Coke, not to mention the soundtrack of a Coke being opened that plays at the venue, and the multi colored signature curved bottle high above in the tower.
Although Coke seems to be taking the high road and welcoming the competition, Atlanta residents seem to feel otherwise. Steven Kenney lives in a condo Downtown. It didn’t take him long to notice that there was “Pepsi on everything.” He says he was struck by the plethora of ads. “Atlanta is pretty much a Coke town. Coke, Coke, Coke,” he said, so Pepsi executives “are probably enjoying it.”
It was a slightly different sentiment coming from one of the restaurants inside the designated “clean zone.” Doris Burkes manages the Just Around the Corner Grill. Pepsi ads are now all around it. “It’s sad,” Burkes says. “The Falcons are not in the Super Bowl and everything is run by Pepsi.” She says she has a supplier that is getting her some new Coke signs ahead of the big game and she doesn’t think the NFL can stop her from putting them out.
Coke has ramped up activities at its venues for the weekend. Part of their football themed exhibit at the World of Coke includes “Game Day” drinks. They will also be hosting a public “Champions Chat” on Friday with three former NFL players, including their commercial icon “Mean” Joe Greene.
Both Coke and Pepsi refuse to disclose all their marketing tactics for the game, so there will surely be many more surprises in the days ahead.
Pepsi is also sponsoring the Halftime Show, featuring Maroon 5. Although no Georgia companies are officially sponsoring the Super Bowl, some have gone around that and become official sponsors of the local host committee for Super Bowl 53. Delta is one of the brands that has done that. They are highlighting that connection on signs throughout Atlanta’s Hartsfield Jackson International Airport.
Despite not being “official,” many companies will still be able to feed off the hype of the Super Bowl here in Atlanta. We know television commercials sell for ridiculous amounts during the Super Bowl, and reports say advertisers spent nearly $482 million in airtime last year, with just one, 30 second spot going for upwards of $5.2 million, according to Kantar Media.
Residents and unofficial advertisers will just have to “grin and bear” the days leading to the Super Bowl, where Pepsi and their blue wave of advertising will surely be hard to miss. But soon it will be over and Atlanta billboards can go back to advertising their signature hometown beverage.