On the heels of the wildly successful 2021 #BetterWithPepsi Burgers campaign, Pepsi wanted to bring attention to another famous pairing: Pepsi and Pizza. Research showed that 90% of people believe that Pepsi is a perfect beverage complement to pizza, so it was no surprise that 72% of the national pizza chains serve Pepsi with their pizza. That said, a lot of local mom and pop and smaller independent pizzerias that hone their pizza craft were still defaulting to the…other cola. We set out to change that.

People are extremely divisive when it comes to food, especially their pizza. So when big chain restaurants already realized that pizza goes better with Pepsi, it was time to let the mom and pop pizzerias and the pizza professionals finally get with the program. So we did the unthinkable and created a new slice of pizza by working with the Culinary Institute of America: The Pepsi™-Roni Pizza. A specialty slice with Pepsi-infused pepperoni and a sweet Pepsi Zero Sugar glaze. And to celebrate, we did what all people do, we threw a pizza party. We started in the heart of the pizza capital, New York City, and took the party cross-country to three other pizza-loving cities. So instead of just telling people that pizza goes better with Pepsi, we let them taste it to believe it.

Rather than make an ad campaign touting the research findings, we decided to take inspiration from another famous pizza pairing: the Pepperoni. Pepperoni was created in New York City at the turn of the century to enhance the taste of pizza, so it only made sense for Pepsi to combine forces with pizza’s most beloved topping. We enlisted the experts at the Culinary Institute of America to use food science to help Pepsi reimagine this new type of pepperoni. By infusing pepperoni with rich caramel notes, brown spices and the citrusy pop of Pepsi, our new topping was sure to please pizza fans’ taste buds.

We leaned into the human truth that everyone loves a pizza party. So for National Pizza Party Day, we threw the most fun and Pepsi-infused pizza party with our Pepsi™-Roni Pizza.

Starting with the actual Pepsi™-Roni Pizza, we adorned the Pepsi logo onto every Pepsi-infused pepperoni to prove to the world just how perfect the Pepsi-pizza pairing is. Then for our pizza party, we went all out in true pizzeria fashion with a cheeky Pepsi and pizza hall of fame, sign spinners, custom-made pizza boxes, photo opportunities and more. We invited all of New York City with wild posters that featured a number they could call to hear real New Yorkers telling them when and where to go. We leaned into the experience and relevant media to stay true to the pizza fun, getting everyone to not only know, but taste, that pizza goes better with Pepsi.

From an earned media standpoint, our efforts netted 542 media placements which resulted in 2.51B earned PR impressions. Paid support on social generated an additional 19.7M impressions. Partnerships with prominent food influencers and NYC based creators added to social conversation around the Pepsi™-Roni Pizza, with over 31k mentions across the campaign period. But this campaign would be nothing without truly being able to move the needle with purchase behavior we set out to influence! We worked with DoorDash to track a lift in Pepsi + Pizza orders pre/post our campaign period (the week of National Pizza Party Day, 5/20). Pepsi saw a 78% increase in sales at pizza restaurants, and a 27% increase in people ordering Pepsi for the first time. By the end of 2022, Pepsi saw an uptick in local and independent pizzerias, bringing its overall total of “Pepsi Pour” pizza restaurants to over 74k across the US.