Advert puts fizz back in cola wars

The cola wars are back, and this time they have zero calories but plenty of nostalgia. PepsiCo will premiere a revamped version of its "Diner" Super Bowl commercial next Tuesday, pitting its Pepsi MAX against Coca-Cola's popular Coke Zero, a brand five times its size.

Analysts say people love the funny, spirited rivalry of the decades-old cola wars and the move will benefit both soda makers. That's good news for the US$100 billion ($140 billion) industry, which is seeing weak soft drink sales as shoppers switch to healthier juices and teas.

The premise of the new Pepsi MAX ad is the same from the 1995 original, one of the better loved commercials from Super Bowl XXIX: Delivery drivers from the rival soft drink makers form a short-lived friendship in a diner over music.

The first ad's song was The Youngblood's Get Together. This time around it's Why Can't We Be Friends by War. They sample each other's drinks and the Coca-Cola driver prefers the Pepsi product. And then the friendship comes to an abrupt - and funny - end.

The first version compared the longtime No2 Pepsi and Coca-Cola brands. This time around, the ads take on a very 21st century product - zero-calorie versions of their full-calorie counterparts.

Atlanta-based Coca-Cola has been wildly successful with its five-year-old Coke Zero brand, which taps into the healthy shopper mindset.

Now PepsiCo wants to move into that market with Pepsi MAX, which has long been a top-seller in Europe but is tiny in the US. Pepsi MAX first launched in 1993 overseas and went to the US in 2007, two years after Coke Zero's release. The entire brand did US$1.7 billion in sales in 68 countries last year. Coke Zero has been growing in the double digits for four years now and is in 133 countries. The brand is worth more than US$1 billion in sales.

Coca-Cola has not done comparison advertising for Coca-Cola Zero beyond comparing itself to Coca-Cola. It was quick to downplay the assertion that Pepsi MAX is better.

"Doesn't a fight require two sides? As far as we can tell, the two drivers in this ad may be the only remaining Pepsi MAX drinkers," said Coca-Cola North America spokesman Scott Williamson.

The updated version of "Diner" is the latest in a long line of advertising remakes, as creators dig back to past successes to tap into nostalgia.

PepsiCo declined to say how much it is spending on the ad. The company, based in Purchase, New York, promises this is just the beginning of a new push for the brand.

"We think now is the time to start banging on the drum, on the fact that we believe we have a great tasting, zero-calorie soda and we're ready to take on the competition," said spokeswoman Melisa Tezanos.

The cola wars have been successful for Pepsi and Coca-Cola in the past because they draw attention to the products and they'll likely do so again, said John Sicher, editor of trade publication Beverage Digest.

"This is sort of classic Pepsi, a funny, provocative ad taking a shot at Coke," he said. "This can only help both companies and both products."

- AP