*By Carlo Versano*
Super Bowl Sunday is the ー well ー Super Bowl of building brand awareness, particularly for food and beverage companies. This year, Pepsi and Frito-Lay, both units of PepsiCO ($PEP), are once again among the snack giants planning to use the 100 million-plus members of the expected television audience to launch new products and elevate brands in their respective portfolios.
Frito-Lay commissioned a spot featuring the Backstreet Boys, with Chance the Rapper remixing "I Want It That Way" to promote the new Flamin' Hot Nacho Doritos ー what Frito-Lay CMO Jen Saenz called "a hot twist on an original."
Saenz spoke to Cheddar Tuesday alongside Greg Lyons, the CMO for Pepsi, which is known for its Super Bowl ads and social media engagement tied to the Big Game.
Pepsi bought ad time for a commercial featuring Michael Bublé endorsing its Bubly sparkling water line. That product has been an "absolute success" with only 20 percent brand awareness, Lyons said. Pepsi launched Bubly a year ago as a hedge on its main product line ー and to compete with the wildly popular La Croix, as more millennials switch from diet soda to flavored sparkling water.
Lyons previewed Pepsi's other tentpole ad ー a playful riff on the oft-spoken line from waiters when customers order a Coke: "Is Pepsi okay?"
That ad brings together Steve Carell, Lil' Jon, and Cardi B to tell viewers that "Pepsi is more than okay, it's awesome," Lyons said.
Household names like Pepsi and Frito-Lay benefit from "multiplier effects" with Super Bowl advertising. Americans are shopping for, eating, and interacting with their products all at the same time, Lyons said. Pepsi was the most talked-about brand on Twitter for the last two consecutive Super Bowls ー an achievement it's hoping to three-peat.
In addition to the TV ads and social engagement, Pepsi and Frito-Lay have built over 65,000 in-store displays at stores around the country meant to showcase the brands' synergies.
Doritos and Mountain Dew are purchased together more often than peanut butter and jelly, Lyons said.
For full interview [click here](https://cheddar.com/videos/pepsico-plans-ultimate-super-bowl-party).
Ford is recalling more than 355,000 of its pickup trucks across the U.S. because of an instrument panel display failure that’s resulted in critical information, like warning lights and vehicle speed, not showing up on the dashboard.
Nvidia reported a 56% increase in second-quarter revenue and a 59% rise in net income compared to a year ago.
The Rev. Al Sharpton is set to lead a protest march on Wall Street to urge corporate America to resist the Trump administration’s campaign to roll back diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives. The New York civil rights leader will join clergy, labor and community leaders Thursday in a demonstration through Manhattan’s Financial District that’s timed with the anniversary of the Civil Rights-era March on Washington in 1963. Sharpton called DEI the “civil rights fight of our generation." He and other Black leaders have called for boycotting American retailers that scaled backed policies and programs aimed at bolstering diversity and reducing discrimination in their ranks.
President Donald Trump's administration last month awarded a $1.2 billion contract to build and operate what's expected to become the nation’s largest immigration detention complex to a tiny Virginia firm with no experience running correction facilities.
Netflix CEO Ted Sarandos claims audiences don't want to watch Netflix movies in theaters, but that seems not to be the case recently.
Chipmaker Nvidia is poised to release a quarterly report that could provide a better sense of whether the stock market has been riding an overhyped artificial intelligence bubble or is being propelled by a technological boom that’s still gathering momentum.
Cracker Barrel said late Tuesday it’s returning to its old logo after critics — including President Donald Trump — protested the company’s plan to modernize.
Low-value imports are losing their duty-free status in the U.S. this week as part of President Donald Trump's agenda for making the nation less dependent on foreign goods. A widely used customs exemption for international shipments worth $800 or less is set to end starting on Friday. Trump already ended the “de minimis” rule for inexpensive items sent from China and Hong Kong, but having to pay import taxes on small parcels from everywhere else likely will be a big change for some small businesses and online shoppers. Purchases that previously entered the U.S. without needing to clear customs will be subject to the origin country’s tariff rate, which can range from 10% to 50%.
Southwest Airlines will soon require plus-size travelers to pay for an extra seat in advance if they can't fit within the armrests of one seat. This change is part of several updates the airline is making. The new rule starts on Jan. 27, the same day Southwest begins assigning seats. Currently, plus-size passengers can pay for an extra seat in advance and later get a refund, or request a free extra seat at the airport. Under the new policy, refunds are still possible but not guaranteed. Southwest said in a statement it is updating policies to prepare for assigned seating next year.
Cracker Barrel is sticking with its new logo. For now. But the chain is also apologizing to fans who were angered when the change was announced last week.
