Pepsi trolls Coca-Cola in provocative new ads

Like Apple vs Microsoft and McDonald's vs Burger King, Coca-Cola vs Pepsi is one of the most famous brand rivalries around. One of said cola brands is arguably a little more ubiquitous than the other – and Pepsi is making light of its role as the underdog in a series of amusing new ads.

The ads feature packaging from fast food joints including Burger King, McDonald’s and Wendy’s – all places where Coke is served. But with some clever photography (and perhaps a touch of Photoshop), the Pepsi logo appears hidden in each. Like all of the best print ads, the campaign is delightfully playful and self-aware.

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Designed to commemorate National Burger Day (it's today, in case you didn't know), the ads are part of the brand's #BetterWithPepsi campaign, which launched earlier in the year to encourage customers to drink Pepsi with their burger, instead of the more traditional Coke. (Quite how any of the included restaurants will feel about you bringing your own can of Pepsi to consume on site is another matter entirely.)

Pepsi ad

One of the images in Pepsi's new campaign, showing the Pepsi logo hiding within McDonald's packaging (Image credit: Pepsi)

The campaign is based around research which revealed that, after a blind taste test, 60% of participants preferred their Big Mac, Whopper or Dave’s Single with a Pepsi rather than a Coke. ’Even when we’re not on the menu, we’re always in the picture’, the ads read.

Like Burger King's mouldy whopper ad, Pepsi's is a fun swipe at the competition. That said, we're not convinced Coca-Cola will take any notice – the brand's been busy redesigning its own packaging lately. If you're inspired to create an ad of your own, check out today's best Adobe Creative Cloud deals below.

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Daniel Piper
Senior News Editor

Daniel Piper is Creative Bloq’s Senior News Editor. As the brand’s Apple authority, he covers all things Mac, iPhone, iPad and the rest. He also reports on the worlds of design, branding and tech. Daniel joined Future in 2020 (an eventful year, to say the least) after working in copywriting and digital marketing with brands including ITV, NBC, Channel 4 and more. Outside of Future, Daniel is a global poetry slam champion and has performed at festivals including Latitude, Bestival and more. He is the author of Arbitrary and Unnecessary: The Selected Works of Daniel Piper (Selected by Daniel Piper).