Pepsi is joining forces with running back D’Andre Swift of the Philadelphia Eagles, who will sport No. 0 during the upcoming season for the first time in NFL history. As the Official Soft Drink of the NFL for over 20 years, Pepsi® is introducing Pepsi® Zero Sugar as the new “Official Zero of the NFL” for the 2023-2024 season. Melissa Duhaime, Director of Sports Marketing – PepsiCo, explains how the campaign came about.
Q: What inspired the new Zero campaign?
A: Earlier this year, the NFL announced that players could now wear number ‘0’ jerseys, sparking tremendous excitement among players and fans alike. At Pepsi, we had recently introduced the new and improved Pepsi Zero Sugar and as the Official Soft Drink of the NFL for over 20 years, we recognized that these two factors gave us the ideal opportunity to create a new platform with the NFL that we could truly own, and that was directly tied to the game and NFL Players. We proudly declared Pepsi Zero Sugar as the ‘Official Zero of the NFL,’ reinforcing our commitment to football enthusiasts by elevating fans’ gameday experiences, gearing fans up with their first-ever #0 jerseys through our jersey giveaway and creating a unique connection between Pepsi Zero Sugar and NFL fans.
Q: What enhancements will the Rookie programs have this year?
A: Fans will enjoy a more dynamic voting page on NFL.com/Rookies. We are working with the NFL and Genius Sports to add video highlights of the nominated Rookies to the page as well as consumer engagement elements where fans can win awesome prizes like VIP experiences at NFL Combine and NFL Draft to see Rookies up close and personal after casting their vote. We will also release new digital content showcasing the off-the-field personalities of the newest Rookie Class, and Finally, we will once again reward Rookie of the Week Winners with the “championship belts” which generated fantastic content and great engagement – we’re going to put even more resources in terms of content development, working with teams and media support to bring the program even closer to fans this year.
Q: What do you think NFL fans will be most excited about with this tie-in?
A: There are plenty of moments for fans to be excited about, happening all season long! As the “Official Zero of the NFL,” Pepsi has joined forces with D’Andre Swift, who will be wearing #0 during the upcoming season, to give away 100 #0 NFL team jerseys to the most passionate, unapologetic fans, allowing them to level up their gameday experience with their favorite player’s new jersey. But that’s not all – we identified a cultural truth that 98% of NFL fans have never even attended an NFL game. So, for those fans who have been to zero NFL games, we’re offering opportunities to win tickets and help them experience everything an NFL stadium has to offer. Pepsi is all about enhancing fans’ football experiences, and we can’t wait to see the excitement Pepsi Zero Sugar brings to the NFL community as the “Official Zero of the NFL.” Fans should stay tuned as more activations and programming come in-season!
