Being the biggest festive celebration of the year, Eid is naturally the most important occasion on the calendar for both brands and consumers. And it's all about human connections. Brands want to connect with celebrants. Celebrants want to connect with each other…or do they? Studies showed that Malaysians are digitally obsessed and spend over 8 hours on their devices each day, including during the Eid celebrations where celebrants traditionally bond over conversations, food, and genuine camaraderie . The lively chatter and roaring laughter that used to dominate the air of each Eid celebration are gradually being replaced by the hollow SFX of digital distractions. While more screen time means more ad time – which is the dream of every brand – Pepsi instead saw an opportunity to make a more meaningful, lasting connection with the audience by getting them to disconnect to reconnect with one another again.

How do you ask digitally obsessed Malaysians to put down their phones? Not with a PSA, that’s for sure. Pepsi believes that deep down there is an innate need within the celebrants to connect, but also knows that the allure of digital devices is simply greater. So the solution? Make real connections an even greater allure than their phones… with their phones. Using the native gyroscope technology available in all smartphones, the brand gamified a challenge to incentivise Malaysians to put their phones aside during Eid:

How it works:-

1 . Leave your phone untouched and a timer starts

2. The longer you stay offline, the greater the rewards

3. Timer stops whenever the phone gyroscope detects any movement

To motivate participation, we included a nationwide leaderboard and opportunities to win attractive rewards, turning the meaningful challenge into a gratifying one.

Eid holds paramount importance for Pepsi, contributing a significant 20% to its annual volume. To stand out amidst intensified competition, a disruptive and innovative strategy that would transcend traditional Eid campaigns was required.

But Pepsi also knew that it couldn’t be just disruptive for disruption’s sake. Given the cultural significance of Eid to Malaysians, the brand needed something that’s not only impactful but also meaningful to truly cut through the festive communications clutter and become the preferred cola beverage of Eid.

Recognising how Malaysians’ obsession with the internet was disruptive to Eid celebrations, Pepsi saw an opportunity to establish a purposeful connection with its audience by playing a role in preserving the true essence of Eid. The strategy? DISRUPT THE DISRUPTION with a meaningful initiative that urged Malaysians to set aside their devices and rewarded them for going offline to fully engage themselves in the Eid festivities.

To create an environment where individuals were encouraged to set aside their digital temptations, a 3-prong strategy was executed.

1. ESTABLISH A CONNECTION

An Eid film was launched on key digital platforms like YouTube and TikTok for maximum reach. The film highlighted how little we knew our loved ones despite virtual connections, emphasising on the value of offline quality time during Eid.

2. SPARK A MOVEMENT

The film introduced a gamified offline challenge with prizes worth RM100,000 to be won. Through a mobile-accessible website and the in-built gyroscope of phones, participants were encouraged and incentivised to accumulate ‘offline hours’ by leaving their phones untouched during Eid. The movement is amplified by media coverage and targeted engagement.

3. EMPOWER MEANINGFUL ACTION

Beyond fostering connections, the campaign also empowered participants to donate to a meal care pack to underserved communities for every offline hour accumulated, turning meaningful connections to meaningful contributions.

The message of fostering genuine connections sparked a movement, accumulating over 93,000 offline hours (equivalent to 10 years 7 months)—a record-breaking achievement acknowledged by the Malaysia Book of Records. Our emotionally resonant film achieved over 6 million views and secured a top 10 position in the Experts’ Choice Awards for Eid TVC 2023. This triumph translated into significant business impact, contributing to Pepsi’s impressive +15% volume growth during Eid compared to the previous year. The campaign's influence extended beyond viewership, generating nearly USD 500 million in PR value. The campaign also received prestigious accolades, including the Black Dragons award for Best Mobile Marketing Campaign and recognition for Best In Cultural at the APPIES Asia Pacific awards.