Coca-Cola's genius is apparent immediately when you compare a Coke ad to a Pepsi ad. Neither is explicitly about the cola's taste, formula, or history. Also, neither mentions the competition. Both ads are trying to appeal to consumers' emotions, but the difference is palpable.
So, Who Wins?
Pepsi "won" with their Test Drive ad. It received more shares (1.4 million total) than a Coca-Cola social media ad that was also out at that time (Ben Hall, The Campaign 07 March 2014). Pepsi's ad is catchy, it makes consumers want to watch and see what happens. The product placement is key, but the product isn't the center of the entire ad. Pepsi received pushback, however, because may consumers thought the ad was 'fake'. Their appeal to humor worked well, and got consumers talking and sharing. However, there is less detectable appeal to emotions of consumers. Their appeal to brand character is there, but maybe not desirable for all potential consumers. Some may see that stunt as rude or too aggressive, and make them associate Pepsi as too over the top. Their appeal to logic also falls into this category. Yes, Pepsi Max will give you energy to do crazy things. But is that the goal of drinking it, for everyone? These ethotic and logistic appeals may carry over to the Pepsi brand as a whole, changing the way consumers see their other products.
Coca-Cola's ad aired during the 2014 Supebowl. It is different in many ways. It's less adrenaline focused, and definitely not as fast paced. The Coke ad shows the melting pot of America, and how we are all intertwined by Coca-Cola, football, and the nation we call home. It does not appeal to humor, as Pepsi's ad did (very well), but it makes consumers FEEL something. Patriotism, connectedness, empowerment, these are all emotions conjured up by the Coca-Cola ad. It makes consumers proud to be Americans, and proud to be drinking Coke, a product that is such a staple here and all over the world. The main appeal is to pathos, or emotions, but through that appeal we see logos and ethotic connections as well, Coke does a great job of reminding consumers of who they are, what they stand for, and why we SHOULD drink Coke in this ad, even though they aren't explicitly saying it.
Coca-Cola received pushback for their ad as well, some people saying it was racist, or not energetic enough for the Superbowl. They took an interesting approach with this ad, but all things aside we can all agree that this ad made us feel something and made us think. Most of all, Coca-Cola's ad got us talking. It started a conversation, that Coke had the opportunity to participate in.
The Bottom Line
In the end, the use of ethos, logos, and pathos in the advertisements by both Coke AND Pepsi made them speak to the public. Although they are vastly different in design, and use of the rhetorical situation, both ads were successful at getting people to share, talk, and think about them and the brands they represent. This leads to brand recognition and the development of an ethotic connection between consumers and brands, which is a goal of marketers and advertisers across industries.
Pepsi "won" with their Test Drive ad. It received more shares (1.4 million total) than a Coca-Cola social media ad that was also out at that time (Ben Hall, The Campaign 07 March 2014). Pepsi's ad is catchy, it makes consumers want to watch and see what happens. The product placement is key, but the product isn't the center of the entire ad. Pepsi received pushback, however, because may consumers thought the ad was 'fake'. Their appeal to humor worked well, and got consumers talking and sharing. However, there is less detectable appeal to emotions of consumers. Their appeal to brand character is there, but maybe not desirable for all potential consumers. Some may see that stunt as rude or too aggressive, and make them associate Pepsi as too over the top. Their appeal to logic also falls into this category. Yes, Pepsi Max will give you energy to do crazy things. But is that the goal of drinking it, for everyone? These ethotic and logistic appeals may carry over to the Pepsi brand as a whole, changing the way consumers see their other products.
Coca-Cola's ad aired during the 2014 Supebowl. It is different in many ways. It's less adrenaline focused, and definitely not as fast paced. The Coke ad shows the melting pot of America, and how we are all intertwined by Coca-Cola, football, and the nation we call home. It does not appeal to humor, as Pepsi's ad did (very well), but it makes consumers FEEL something. Patriotism, connectedness, empowerment, these are all emotions conjured up by the Coca-Cola ad. It makes consumers proud to be Americans, and proud to be drinking Coke, a product that is such a staple here and all over the world. The main appeal is to pathos, or emotions, but through that appeal we see logos and ethotic connections as well, Coke does a great job of reminding consumers of who they are, what they stand for, and why we SHOULD drink Coke in this ad, even though they aren't explicitly saying it.
Coca-Cola received pushback for their ad as well, some people saying it was racist, or not energetic enough for the Superbowl. They took an interesting approach with this ad, but all things aside we can all agree that this ad made us feel something and made us think. Most of all, Coca-Cola's ad got us talking. It started a conversation, that Coke had the opportunity to participate in.
The Bottom Line
In the end, the use of ethos, logos, and pathos in the advertisements by both Coke AND Pepsi made them speak to the public. Although they are vastly different in design, and use of the rhetorical situation, both ads were successful at getting people to share, talk, and think about them and the brands they represent. This leads to brand recognition and the development of an ethotic connection between consumers and brands, which is a goal of marketers and advertisers across industries.
Hall, Ben. "Campaign Viral Chart: Pepsi Tops Coke with Jeff Gordon Test Drive." Pepsi Beats Coke with Viral Jeff Gordon Test Drive Ad. Campaign, 07 Mar. 2014. Web. 26 June 2014. <http://www.campaignlive.co.uk/news/1284075/pepsi-beats-coke-viral-jeff-gordon-test-drive-ad-viral-chart/%20https%3A//www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q5mHPo2yDG8>.
"Pepsi MAX & Jeff Gordon Present: "Test Drive"" YouTube. Pepsi Co., 12 Mar. 2013. Web. 28 June 2014. <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q5mHPo2yDG8>.
"Official Coca-Cola "Big Game" Commercial 2014 - America Is Beautiful." YouTube. The Coca-Cola Company, 02 Feb. 2014. Web. 28 June 2014. <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=443Vy3I0gJs>.
"Pepsi MAX & Jeff Gordon Present: "Test Drive"" YouTube. Pepsi Co., 12 Mar. 2013. Web. 28 June 2014. <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q5mHPo2yDG8>.
"Official Coca-Cola "Big Game" Commercial 2014 - America Is Beautiful." YouTube. The Coca-Cola Company, 02 Feb. 2014. Web. 28 June 2014. <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=443Vy3I0gJs>.