Pepsi Generation facts for kids
The Pepsi Generation was a famous advertising idea for Pepsi, a popular soft drink from the United States. It started in 1963 after a contest to find a new slogan. The winning slogan, "Come Alive! You're the Pepsi Generation!", was created by Ellen M. Reimer. This campaign aimed to connect Pepsi with young, active people and a modern way of life.
How Pepsi Changed its Ads
Before the "Pepsi Generation" campaign, Pepsi's ads often talked about its lower price. For example, in 1939, Pepsi used a jingle that said:
- Pepsi-Cola hits the spot
Twelve full ounces, that's a lot!
Twice as much for a nickel, too
Pepsi-Cola is the drink for you.
This old jingle focused on Pepsi being a better deal than Coca-Cola. But the "Pepsi Generation" campaign changed everything. Instead of just being cheaper, Pepsi wanted to be seen as different from Coke.
The new campaign and its jingle —
- You've got a lot to live
And Pepsi's got a lot to give.
— told people that Pepsi was for the "young" side of the 1960s. This was a time when there was a "generation gap" — meaning different ideas between older and younger people.
Television ads showed young people doing exciting things. They rode motorcycles or flew windships in the desert. An announcer would say that Pepsi drinkers saw the "young view of things." They were described as "Livelier, active people with a liking for Pepsi-Cola!"
In contrast, older Coca-Cola ads often showed traditional scenes. They featured small towns or figures like Santa Claus. Pepsi told people there were "Coke people" and "Pepsi people." If you were a Pepsi person, you were young, and the future was on your side.
This new way of advertising inspired Coca-Cola. In 1971, Coke launched its own "hip" campaign. It was called "I'd Like to Teach the World to Sing (in Perfect Harmony)." This campaign also sold a lifestyle, not just the drink.
Alan Pottasch, who created the campaign, said it was brave to name a whole generation after a product. The "Pepsi Generation" was one of the first and best examples of "lifestyle marketing." This means ads focus on the kind of person who uses the product. They show desirable qualities like youth or being active. They don't just talk about the product itself. Pottasch explained that Pepsi was for people who were "young in mind, in attitude, in feeling. Young in spirit. Young in heart."
The "Choice of a New Generation"
In 1984, Alan Pottasch brought back similar ideas. He launched "The Choice of a New Generation" campaign. This campaign became very famous when Michael Jackson appeared in Pepsi commercials. Many other famous singers and actors also promoted Pepsi during this time. These included Lionel Richie, Tina Turner, David Bowie, Glenn Frey, Gloria Estefan and the Miami Sound Machine, and Michael J. Fox.
"Generation Next" and New Music
In 1997, Pepsi launched a new worldwide campaign called "GeneratioNext." This continued the idea of the "Pepsi Generation." The new slogan aimed to replace other phrases Pepsi used around the world.
Pepsi bought a lot of commercial time during the Super Bowl XXXI in January 1997. The ads were fast-paced and showed young boxers, waitresses, and people having fun. A Pepsi executive said the characters were "positive, in control and lay claim to the future."
The ads featured a jingle called "Move Over." Its lyrics talked about moving past old music styles like "rave, rap, punk, metal." It urged listeners to embrace the "next page, next stage, next craze, next wave." The Spice Girls later recorded their own version of this jingle for Pepsi commercials.
Many other artists have also been part of the "Pepsi Generation" and "Generation Next" ads. These include Del Shannon, the late Michael Jackson, and Britney Spears.
