Pepsi revisits the taste debate in Super Bowl LX ad spot

Pepsi has unveiled its Super Bowl LX commercial The Choice, using the game’s global stage to revisit the long-running debate over cola preference and taste. Directed by Academy Award-winning filmmaker Taika Waititi, the spot centres on blind taste testing and positions Pepsi Zero Sugar against rival cola brands.

The campaign draws on the concept known as the Pepsi Paradox, which suggests that when brand labels are removed, consumers often prefer the taste of Pepsi. By airing during the Super Bowl, Pepsi brings this argument directly to a mass audience, asking whether cola loyalty is shaped more by branding or by flavour.

Revisiting the Pepsi Challenge

The Choice features a polar bear taking part in the Pepsi Challenge, a blind taste test in which the character selects Pepsi Zero Sugar over Coke Zero Sugar. Set to Queen’s I Want to Break Free, the narrative follows the bear as it confronts its assumptions and accepts its preference.

Pepsi positions the creative as a continuation of the original Pepsi Challenge from five decades ago, which tested consumer preferences without brand identifiers. The brand links the Super Bowl execution to a 2025 revival of the challenge, stating that a majority of participants preferred Pepsi Zero Sugar in blind testing.

Taste claims and campaign context

According to Pepsi, sixty-six percent of participants in the 2025 Pepsi Challenge said Pepsi Zero Sugar tasted better than Coke Zero Sugar. The company also reports that Pepsi Zero Sugar performed strongly across all markets where the challenge was conducted, including Atlanta.

Gustavo Reyna, Vice President of Marketing, Pepsico: “For decades, Pepsi has embraced being the challenger cola brand, yet we keep proving we’re number one where it matters most: taste. Cola drinkers care about taste, but when they choose anything other than Pepsi, they leave taste on the table. With Taika adding his unmistakable touch to the spot, we’re on a mission to showcase the belief that Pepsi tastes better.”

Zero sugar growth and Super Bowl return

The Super Bowl appearance marks the return of Pepsi Zero Sugar to the event following a year of growth in the zero- and lower-sugar cola segment. Pepsi reports that Pepsi Zero Sugar achieved 30.8 percent growth in 2025, nearly double the wider zero-sugar cola category, and expanded into more than one million additional households.

Taika Waititi: “I love a good challenge, so I jumped at the chance to take part in what many consider the biggest pop culture competition. I’m honored to play a small part in the Pepsi legacy and the Cola Wars.”

Broader activations around the spot

The commercial, produced using a combination of live action and CGI, anchors a wider Pepsi Zero Sugar campaign linked to Super Bowl week. This includes social media giveaways during the game, digital Pepsi Challenge activations, and on-the-ground experiences in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Pepsi is also planning out-of-home and experiential activity featuring the polar bear character, alongside food and beverage events where consumers can sample Pepsi Zero Sugar during Super Bowl festivities.

www.pepsico.com

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