By Hinna Raja
welcome to the psyche of the underdog.
FIRST GEN IMMIGRANT KID
SELF-TAUGHT MULTIDISCIPLINARY CREATIVE
ALL THINGS BRAND CRTV + SOC!AL
CHECK OUT WHAT I'M LISTENING TO:
HOLIDAY CAMPAIGN
HOLIDAY CAMPAIGN
PEPSI | HOLIDAY CAMPAIGNS 2024
SOCIAL STRATEGY
THE BRIEF
to create a holiday campaign that positions Pepsi Max not only as a beverage but as a lifestyle brand for Gen Z grounded in youth culture
APPROACH
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Pepsi Max wanted to create a holiday campaign that didn't just speak to Gen Z -- it spoke their language. To do that, we tapped into their aesthetic sensibilities, cultural energy, and love for self-expression.
Rather than taking a traditional advertising approach, we designed a campaign that felt bold, high-impact, and native to Gen Z's world. Our strategy was to align Pepsi Max with Gen Z's fast-moving fashion culture by crafting visually striking, statement-making content that embodied the brand's bold personality.
We also set out to structure the campaign for maximum visibility and engagement, making it as watchable, shareable, personality-driven, and trend-informed as the content Gen Z already consumes.
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For Gen Z, holiday fashion isn't just about looking good, it's about standing out. And during the biggest fashion-driven quarter of the year, Pepsi Max showed up not just as a drink, but as an attitude, a state of mind -- a lifestyle.
INSIGHTS
EXECUTION
We created a high-energy, fashion-forward video series that reimagined Pepsi Max’s bold attitude through the lens of Gen Z’s holiday style. The campaign showcased streetwear-inspired holiday looks, designed to be as striking and dynamic as the brand itself.
To ensure the content resonated, we:
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Leaned into TikTok’s visual language – Using rapid cuts, high-contrast styling, and bold on-screen text to create a scroll-stopping aesthetic.
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Blended fashion with entertainment – Each video was designed not just to showcase outfits but to tell a story, leveraging movement, attitude, and high-impact styling to capture Gen Z’s attention.
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Built cultural relevance – We tapped into seasonal fashion trends, from oversized outerwear to maximalist accessories, positioning Pepsi Max at the intersection of style, confidence, and self-expression.
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Maximized engagement potential – We crafted each video to feel sharable, remixable, and trend-adjacent, ensuring it fit seamlessly into Gen Z’s feeds while encouraging conversation.
The result? A campaign that didn’t just speak to Gen Z—it existed within their world. Pepsi Max became more than a brand in their feed; it became a part of their holiday aesthetic, attitude, and culture.
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A scroll-stopping three-part video series featuring bold, street-style holiday fashion looks -- designed to be as bold and flavorful as Pepsi Max itself.
The campaign leveraged TikTok user search behavior to identify top fashion-related holiday search queries trending in Q4:
☆ "Holiday party outfit ideas
☆ "Streetwear Holiday looks"
☆ "Bold holiday fashion"
☆ "What to wear for the holidays"
We set out to structure the campaign for maximum visibility and engagement, making it as watchable, shareable, personality-driven, and trend-informed as the content Gen Z already consumes.
By tapping into streetwear-inspired holiday trends and translating them into a high-energy, culturally relevant campaign, we positioned Pepsi Max beyond food and beverage -- cementing its place in Gen Z's world as a brand that gets them.
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WHY IT WORKED
Rather than pushing traditional ads, the campaign tapped into fashion as entertainment, making Pepsi Max a natural part of the content Gen Z was already engaging with.
Aligned with TikTok’s Cultural Moments
Gen Z doesn't just have its own distinct spoken language -- but also its own
visual language that resonates amongst users on the platform. By leveraging trend-driven fashion aesthetics, Pepsi Max positioned itself as a bold, style-forward brand that spoke Gen Z’s language in an authentic way.
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Optimized for engagement + shareability
Search-optimized content ensured the campaign had long-term discoverability, continuing to surface on TikTok long after its initial release.
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Seamlessly Integrated into Gen Z’s World
IMPACT !
This campaign didn’t just promote sneakers—it redefined how Gen Z connects with sneaker culture online. By fusing trend-driven narratives with immersive world-building, we created a campaign that wasn’t just seen—it was experienced.
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✅ Integrated seamlessly into Gen Z’s world – Instead of feeling like a traditional ad, the campaign tapped into fashion as entertainment, making Pepsi Max a natural part of the content Gen Z was already engaging with.
✅ Aligned with seasonal trends and cultural moments – By tapping into high-energy, streetwear-inspired holiday fashion, the campaign positioned Pepsi Max within a space where Gen Z was actively looking for inspiration.
✅ Optimized for engagement and shareability – The content was designed to be visually striking, fast-paced, and trend-adjacent, making it highly shareable and remixable across TikTok.
✅ Extended brand perception beyond food & beverage – By associating Pepsi Max with bold self-expression and style, the campaign successfully expanded its cultural relevance into new Gen Z-favored niches.
