Pepsi’s Resurgence Of ‘Yeh Dil Maange More’
Pepsi, as a youth-centric brand, is synonymous with the two f’s – fizz and freshness. To keep its fizz in place, the popular soft drink has re-imagined and redefined the concept of freshness over the years in more ways than one.
In 1990, the brand which was then Lehar Pepsi, made a debut in the advertising circuit and rocked the charts with Remo Fernandes’ tunes and had actress Juhi Chawla grooving to the same.
Pepsi’s tagline made a smooth transition in 1992, with ‘Yehi Hai Right Choice Baby, A-ha!’, starring Aamir Khan, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan and Mahima Chaudhry. This tagline drew inspiration from Diet Pepsi’s campaign ‘You Got the Right One, Baby, Uh Huh’ which was broadcast in North America from 1990 to 1993 – it featured singer Ray Charles, amongst a troop of models.
The ‘Nothing Official About It’ campaign by the brand showcasing cricketing legend Sachin Tendulkar, put the official sponsor of the 1996 Cricket World Cup, Coca-Cola, in the shade – a very evident case of ambush marketing.
Then, came along the ‘Yeh Dil Maange More’ tagline in 1998. Anuja Chauhan, the erstwhile vice president and executive creative director at JWT (which was re-christened Wunderman Thompson and is currently VMLY&R) was the brains behind this much sought-after slogan, and late Priya Mohan Sinha, ex-chief executive of PepsiCo India, fondly known as Suman Sinha amongst his peers was the brawn behind the same. The campaign flagged off with two illustrious names - Tendulkar and the King of Hearts Shah Rukh Khan enthralling the screen. The following ones had the trio-cast of the much-acclaimed blockbuster ‘Kuch Kuch Hota Hai’- SRK-Kajol-Rani Mukherjee along with the then young, Shahid Kapoor, and also one with the Indian cricket team at that time.
The tagline became a household name in no time, and was also uttered as an attainment of victory by Captain Vikram Batra when he and his troops successfully defeated Pakistan in the Kargil War in 1999 – the same has been incorporated in the famed movie ‘Shershaah’ (released in 2021) highlighting performances by Siddharth Malhotra and Kiara Advani.
Who knew the very same lines would recreate the magic for the brand this year, de novo, after 26 years in the country on the occasion of its 125th anniversary?
The beverage brand revealed a bold new global branding at the Gateway of India, Mumbai, merging its rich heritage with a modern vision. Coinciding with this milestone, Pepsi energised the country with the overhaul of ‘Yeh Dil Maange More’ in a fresh style, starring the spirited Ranveer Singh. This dual celebration marked a significant milestone in the brand's journey and signaled a daring leap into its next era.
Encapsulating the period from 1998 until now - the SRK-starrer ‘Oye Bubbly’ happened in 2006, the ‘Youngistaan’ brigade took over with Ranbir Kapoor in 2008, ‘Oh Yes Abhi!’ in 2013, ‘Live It Abhi’ in 2015; Salman Khan who came onboard as brand ambassador in 2019 taking ‘Har Ghoont Mein Swag’ forward; in 2023, Singh was roped in as the endorser for ‘Rise Up, Baby!’ and had Samantha Ruth Prabhu and KGF star Yash also being part of the campaigns; and now it’s a full circle, paying homage to the much-loved ‘Yeh Dil Maange More’.
Talking to BW Marketing World, Shailja Joshi, Category Lead, Pepsi Cola, PepsiCo India mentions, “In retracing our incredible 125-year journey, Pepsi has imprinted an indelible mark on culture across generations. The launch of the 'Yeh Dil Maange More' campaign is a celebration of this profound connection with the youth, with our brand ambassadors leading the revival of this legendary campaign. The resurgence of 'Yeh Dil Maange More' solidifies Pepsi's philosophy of striving for more, and not succumbing to the limiting voices in our heads. More than just a slogan, 'Yeh Dil Maange More' embodies a sentiment that resonates with the invigorating spirit of youth and the limitless pursuit of possibilities. We're thrilled to embark on this journey and share the experience with our consumers across India.”
The transition of Pepsi through its various taglines, and several endorsers – the brand has retained its essence of targeting the youth and keeping them engaged from time to time in numerous ways.
The youth, today, believe in being themselves – shedding their inhibitions, following their heart and their dreams unapologetically, and making it happen. The coming around and rebranding of ‘Yeh Dil Maange More’, states just that – proving that there couldn’t be a more opportune time for the resurrection of this brand idea.
Needless to say, what SRK and Tendulkar were to the youngsters then, Singh is to the youth now. Khan’s association of a decade with the cola brand has been the longest ever collaboration that Pepsi has ever had with a star in India. While Ranbir Kapoor did come along and so did Salman Khan, both paved the way for the latest youth sensation – Singh, who is pertinent in a more significant way, especially with his inclination towards a contemporary outlook of grappling situations, pop-culture, dance, colour, upbeat music, blended with unconstrained thoughts, a quirky sense of humour, vibrancy, freshness and optimism.
While the former ‘Yeh Dil Maange More’ campaigns were light-hearted and had a humorous take, the current perspective is more chic, relentlessly candid and more relevant in terms of building a connection with the youth.
With a revisit to the iconic campaign, it is yet to be seen whether it was truly an appropriate move by Pepsi, or does it still keep the youth yearning, saying ‘Yeh Dil Maange More’.
