20 Best Marketing and Advertising Campaigns We Have Ever Seen e book 20_Best_Marketing_and_Advertising_Campaigns | Page 5

THE REFRESH PROJECT
BRAND:
Pepsi
CREATIVE PARTNER:
TBWA Worldwide
After 23 years and hundreds of millions of dollars spent
on Super Bowl ads, one of the world’s biggest brands
broke new ground in 2010
by opting out of the Super Bowl and pouring 1/3 of
its annual marketing budget into a cause-driven social
marketing campaign called “The Refresh Project.”
The Refresh Project featured a pledge from Pepsi to
hand out more than $20 million in grants to do-good
projects in six categories and in what has since been
STEAL THIS
Been doing the same thing for 23 years? Surprise the
hell out of everyone by not doing it. At least once.
Even high-profile, high-budget “do good” programs
don’t do much good if they’re not authentic and
brand-relevant. Learn from Pepsi’s mistakes.
coined “crowd-sourced philanthropy” (the audience
voted on who got the grants). Sadly, the campaign
was pulled after 10 months due to fraud allegations
and slipping market share -- yet the influence of The
Refresh Project as a remarkable example of behemoth
brands committing more dollars (and brain cells) to
digital and social media continues to be felt.