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Cola Ad Wars Are Back!: Pepsi fires first salvo. ‘Nothing official about it 2.0’?
Pepsi just turned every moment into a refreshing celebration! While Coca-Cola played the game with its halftime campaign, Pepsi India took a bold and cheeky ad route.
The ad cleverly weaves a rhythmic, playful list of life’s best moments—first time, thirst time, play time, crunch time, winner time, we time, me time—all reminding us that there’s never a wrong time to pop open a chilled Pepsi.
Pepsi just served a fizzy masterstroke in the Cola wars, and honestly? We're here for the entertainment!
In a cheeky response to Coca-Cola's 'Half Time' campaign recently magnified during the Champions Trophy match between India and Pakistan, Pepsi has flipped the script—why stop at halftime when it's ALWAYS Pepsi Time?
In an innovative nod to its new campaign (credits to Havas Creative India), Pepsi rebranded The Times of India to ANY Times of India, seamlessly tying into its tagline. It's a hat-tip to the 1996 iconic Cricket World Cup campaign “Nothing official about it”. And that’s just the beginning.
The ad cleverly weaves a playful list of life’s best moments — first time, thirst time, play time, crunch time, winner time, we time, me time — all reminding us that there’s never a wrong time to pop open a chilled Pepsi.
Coca-Cola may have taken the halftime seriously, but Pepsi? They've taken ALL the time!
In a statement to Storyboard18, a PepsiCo India spokesperson summed it up best, "At PepsiCo India, consumer-centricity drives everything we do. With the launch of the ‘Anytime is Pepsi time’ campaign, we are defining refreshment for the upcoming summer season — turning every moment, big or small, into an opportunity to enjoy an ice-cold Pepsi. This summer with Pepsi is all about ‘Yeh Dil Maange More’, the cultural movement celebrating spontaneity and living in the moment with Pepsi. It can be a sports screening party with friends, an unplanned road trip, or simply a break from the ordinary, Pepsi is there to elevate the moment – every time, anytime. Great moments don’t wait and are made better with Pepsi."
Anupama Ramaswamy, Chief Creative Officer & Joint MD, Havas Creative India, shared: “Pepsi has always been a brand that challenges the norm, in a cheeky way. When we looked at the passion of the fans, we saw something undeniable. The energy never dips, the excitement never pauses, so why should their refreshment? So, with the brand’s challenger mindset at the core, we decided to seize the day. Back in the 1950s, Pepsi had said, “Any weather is Pepsi weather.” Carrying that spirit forward, we conceptualized “Any time is Pepsi time.” Because Pepsi is for every moment that matters.”
The internet obviously couldn't get enough of the ad, with netizens pouring in their two cents on it. Take a look:
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Cola played halftime. Pepsi played full-time, and how!
SPOTLIGHT
At the Storyboard18 DNPA Conclave 2025, Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw spotlighted the critical role of traditional media in an evolving digital landscape. He emphasized that such gatherings can aid the govt in formulating more effective policies for a balanced and sustainable media ecosystem.
Read MoreIN PHOTOS: At Global Pioneers Summit, visionaries chart the future of business and creativity
From the chiefs of Nestle, Diageo, Colgate, PepsiCo, Zetwerk and CRED to AI visionaries, marketing mavens, top creators, ad legends and leading global agencies' CEOs, the brightest minds converged at the Storyboard18 Global Pioneers Summit for an action-packed day of meaningful dialogues on creativity, commerce and culture.