For many decades companies have wanted to have their products to be advertised during the Super Bowl. That’s when so many people tune into the TV to see who wins the championship ring. On Jan. 15, 2021, Pepsi and Coca-Cola announced they will be foregoing this tradition.
Pepsi decided instead that they will be using their traditional time slot for a new campaign. This campaign will lead to The Weeknd’s halftime show. This will be the 10th year that Pepsi has sponsored the Super Bowl’s halftime show.
However, Frito-Lay and Mountian Dew — both owned by PepsiCo — have plans to advertise during the game. Coca-Cola stated they will be on the sidelines toasting other brands this year., according to spokesperson Kate Hartman.
This difficult choice was made to ensure we are investing in the right resources during these unprecedented times.
Two years ago, Coca-Cola decided to run their ad before the Super Bowl instead of during the game. The COVID-19 pandemic has the company staggering in sales. During the first nine months of 2020, Coca-Cola’s revenue fell a whopping 13 percent. By the end of 2020, Coke’s shares fell 14 percent.
Due to PepsiCo receiving a small portion of their sales from away-from-home sales they managed to raise two percent in sales. This gave the company’s stock a market value of $197 billion.
This year Super Bowl LV will be held at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida, on Feb. 7, 2021. Usually, before the Super Bowl is the Pro Bowl game. Due to the pandemic, the NFL has canceled this game and plan to replace it with virtual activities this year.
The Pro Bowl was supposed to be played in Las Vegas on Jan. 31, 2021. Football fans were very disappointed to hear that it was canceled. However, they were happy to hear they had not canceled the Super Bowl.
Written by Sheena Robertson
Sources:
USA Today: NFL cancels 2021 Pro Bowl due to COVID-19 pandemic, awards 2022 game to Las Vegas; by Lorenzo Reyes
NBC: Coca-Cola and Pepsi won’t be advertising their namesake sodas during the Super Bowl; by Amelia Lucas
Featured Image Courtesy of rebecca anne”s Flickr Page – Creative Commons License
Inline Image Courtesy of Mike Mozart’s Flickr Page – Creative Commons License
