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Super Bowl LX: Pepsi stirs the cola wars again
Their new Super Bowl LX spot, "The Choice," directed by Academy Award-winning filmmaker Taika Waititi, features a cola-loving polar bear who takes the Pepsi Challenge and, when faced with a blind taste test, chooses Pepsi Zero Sugar over Coke Zero Sugar.
(Snippets from the ad)
Pepsi just kicked off another round of the Cola Wars, and this time, they’ve brought Coca-Cola's polar bear into the mix. Their new Super Bowl LX spot, "The Choice," directed by Academy Award-winning filmmaker Taika Waititi, features a cola-loving polar bear who takes the Pepsi Challenge and, when faced with a blind taste test, chooses Pepsi Zero Sugar over Coke Zero Sugar. What follows is a comedic journey of self-discovery, as the bear confronts his own assumptions and fully embraces his new Pepsi-loving identity. All of this is set to Queen’s "I Want to Break Free" for the perfect touch of rebellious fun.
This is the latest chapter in the Pepsi Challenge, a campaign originally launched 50 years ago. And it’s no surprise that Pepsi is still holding strong: In a 2025 survey, 66% of participants chose Pepsi Zero Sugar over Coke Zero in blind taste tests—even in Coke’s hometown of Atlanta.
"For decades, Pepsi has thrived as the challenger brand, and we keep proving we’re #1 where it matters most: taste," said Gustavo Reyna, Vice President of Marketing at Pepsi. He added, "We know cola drinkers care about taste, but when they choose anything other than Pepsi, they’re leaving flavor on the table."
This year’s ad and the return of Pepsi Zero Sugar to the Super Bowl spotlight come after a strong growth year, with Pepsi Zero Sugar seeing a 30.8% growth in 2025—almost double the growth of the zero-sugar cola category.
Waititi, who directed the spot, shared, "I love a good challenge, so when I was asked to be part of this, I jumped at the chance. It's an honor to be part of the Pepsi legacy and the iconic Cola Wars."
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