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 help Pepsi Max rank in search for Gen Z's holiday-related queries and position the brand not just as a beverage, but as a lifestyle grounded in youth culture
APPROACH
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Gen Z searches TikTok the way older generations use Google -- searching everything from gifting to decor to fashion, fashion-related searches at an all-time high and surging particularly between Black Friday and New Years.
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With this in mind, we leveraged TikTok search trends to identify high-volume fashion-related queries -- like "holiday party outfit ideas" and "bold holiday fashion" -- and structured the campaign's creative execution around them.
Our approach combined cutting-edge, scroll-stopping visuals with search-optimized video titles, captions, hashtags, and in-video text overlays to align Pepsi's content with real user search behavior. This ensured the campaign wasn't just seen -- it was discoverable long after its initial launch.
INSIGHTS
EXECUTION
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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"
and crafted search-friendly video titles, captions and hashtags to align with these search terms.
Our videos also featured off- and on- screen text overlays and spoken keywords that mirrored real search behavior, increasing ranking potential on TikTok's search function.
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WHY IT WORKED
Rather than pushing traditional ads, the campaign tapped into real user intent—ensuring audiences organically discovered Pepsi Max content while searching for holiday fashion inspiration.
Aligned with TikTok’s Cultural Conversation
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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Leveraged
Long - Term
Discoverability
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 with Gen Z’s Search Behavior
Extended Brand Perception Beyond Food + Bev
By associating Pepsi Max with bold self-expression and style, the campaign successully positioned its cultural revelance to Gen Z as not just a beverage but as an attitude, a state of mind -- a lifestyle brand.
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