2: Primary Research. Part A

Pepsi Max

"Don't just live life...MAX it!"

Pepsi Max has launched a new series of ads that celebrates guys spending quality time with their mates. The new ads follow previous campaigns where the three Pepsi MAX mates' escapades saw them helping their buddies bag the job and get the girl. The latest instalment demonstrates the lengths they will go to, to overcome daily complications that threaten quality mate’s time. 

Pepsi Max Burnout advert 2011

“The infamous MAX mates are back!”

The 2011 Burnout advert for Pepsi Max is about 3 guys who fool their boss into thinking he is hallucinating due to being tired after telling them they need to work late. The result? After seeing the cleaner upside down, a parrot, and then two of the guys with a clown's face and a horse's head their boss decides the work can wait til tomorrow. With their plan a success, cue dancing and a Pepsi max for all.

From previous adverts we have picked up on the bromance these 3 guys share, obviously the best of mates helping each other out to get the girl, get the job; and now to get out of those tricky situations. In this advert we learn a bit more about the guys, the factor that they aren’t just work colleagues but they actually work together could be how they became such good friends. Also we learn that there is no stopping their mischievous behaviour when it comes to hanging out, as the guys have got a plan to get out of working late.

Set in an office building, the guys are at a meeting with their boss trying to come up with ideas for something. Now before their boss even suggests that they will need to stay late, looking outside the room it would seem that they’re perhaps already staying after hours; as apart from the window cleaner there isn’t anybody else around. This is a plus for the guys plan as no-one is able to question the masks, parrot, or upside down window cleaner. This being something the producers of this spot would of had to factor in to make it more believable; whilst the window cleaner character gives the whole thing credibility. If it was just the guys on its own it wouldn’t be as entertaining where as this gives the audience the idea that perhaps this is a harder task trying to fool the boss. Also when you think about it pranking someone with your friends is one thing, getting outside help gives you that insurance that you’re more likely to pull it off and it’s more believable if someone you don’t know and trust is trying to fool you.

When it comes to editing, I would say there is some when it comes to the guy who had a horse’s head, as when he spoke the horses facial actions were very streamline and animated; not something you would expect from a mask. Liken it to the guy in the clown’s head you can see there is a difference between the two, when they’re speaking.

What makes the whole series of Pepsi Max adverts so good and funny is the tongue in cheek sense of it all. Using wit and humour, this one in particular plays on the whole idea that these guys don’t want to be working when they could be watching the race and just like the rest of the ads, they have a plan. The idea of making your boss feel that they’re losing it just so you can knock off early; its relatable to anyone who works in an office or who works and dreads that one sentence from their boss asking if they can stay later. I reckon if asked 60-70% of people in the work place would try and fool their bosses into letting them go home early. The producers of the advert are clever in generalizing the story line of these 3 guys; by setting it in an office they give the audience that ESP, letting man and woman be united as it isn’t the men against the woman, as this time the shared foe is the boss.

The ads are of course aimed at men; although I would have said young adults to middle aged men, the precise age are 25. When developing these ads Pepsi did a 3 month ethnographic research on 25 year old guys, across seven countries and five continents; the results being that guys just want to spend more time with their mates.

Despite this I would say the adverts are applicable to a wider age range, when you put into consideration the different situations that the guys need rescuing from. In this ad's case we're talking the working man, using the plain folk appeal. I think most men will find themselves smiling at the idea of the ad as if not themselves, they will know someone who has been in such a situation.

Although the message of the advert is "Don't just live life...MAX it!" it’s obvious that the stronger message is that of friendship. These three guys are best friends they stick together and get the plan done and reap the rewards afterwards. Said reward equals to a sense of freedom to some extent, requiring a victory dance and a fresh Pepsi Max. The ideology of this advert gives forth a sense of bandwagon as the developmental research that went into this showed that guys would go to any lengths if it meant spending more time with their buddies.

Despite negative reviews about the actors and the idea being weak; I think that it’s a great idea and follow up to the first set of Pepsi Max Mates adverts. From trying to hook up with a hot girl to ensuring your mate gets the job, this set of ads is different as the guys are trying to get out of real life tricky situations.  Before the audience might have been wishing that was them but now they can better relate to the ads as these situations are ones in which they will have encountered.

More than anything when watching the advert you get the feel of a beer advert not a soft drink beverage a diet one at that; which I think gives it an edge over its competitors. The antics of these three guys although PG, have the feel and same sort of ideology of something you are likely to see in a beer ad which helps to widen the audience.