Pepsi 'The Choice': Taika Waititi Sends the Polar Bear to a Rival

Wed, 08 Jul 2026 09:00:00 +0000

Comparative advertising is one of the oldest tools in the category playbook and one of the most dangerous. Done poorly, it elevates the competitor by naming them. Done well, it takes an icon belonging to the rival and makes it yours. Pepsi’s Super Bowl LX spot, directed by Taika Waititi, does the second thing — and does it with the Coca-Cola polar bear.

The Concept

“The Choice” opens on an unmistakable image: the Coca-Cola polar bear, the icon of the rival brand’s Christmas advertising since 1993. In a blind taste test, the bear chooses Pepsi Zero Sugar. The reveal triggers an existential crisis. The bear wanders, displaced, through a journey of self-discovery that ends with it choosing its own identity — and Pepsi.

Pepsi Trolling Coke Before the Super Bowl

Wed, 30 Jan 2019 11:00:29 +0000

Hello World,

I read an interesting article this week regarding the Super Bowl. You know that not only is it football’s big day but it’s also a big day for advertising and marketing in general. One thing the city of Atlanta where the Super Bowl is taking place is known for is being the main headquarters of the Coca-Cola company (Coke). But Coke is not the main sponsor of the NFL, that honor goes to Pepsi. Pepsi is, of course, one of Coke’s main competitors. But I think Coke still got the last laugh over Pepsi in this year’s upcoming Super Bowl.

Pepsi on Inside That Ad

Pepsi 'The Choice': Taika Waititi Sends the Polar Bear to a Rival

The Concept

Pepsi Trolling Coke Before the Super Bowl