Santa and his polar bear want some Pepsi

In the 1980s, during what was known as the “cola wars” between Pepsi and Coca-Cola, Pepsi ran a series of advertisements where people in a blind taste test chose their drink over rival Coca-Cola. It is perhaps the most classic example of comparative advertising.

Today, the cola wars rage on. Perhaps you might recall good ol’ Santa sipping a bottle of refreshing Coca-Cola in the 1930s, or white polar bears enjoying Coca-Cola with penguins in Antarctica. With “Summer Time is Pepsi Time”, Pepsi pokes fun at the traditional Coca-Cola icons.

Comparative advertising works, given the similarity and rivalry between both brands. It could be seen as lighthearted criticism between the two soft drink giants. Given how far these two have come, whether this campaign by Pepsi has staying power is a different issue now, and will be determined in the next few weeks.

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