Pepsi's #ColaTruce Stunt Sends 130K Meals To United Way, Shuts Our Mouths About Brand Feuds
Earlier this week, we were a little salty about petty brand feuds, but this latest has us uncleanching the fists we were shaking at clouds. Pepsi took its own brand feud—a mostly one-sided one, if we're honest—and used it to help feed people in need.
The best part? It's some old-fashioned, kindly pettiness of the "aren't you sweet" variety. It started with this here tweet:
Hey @CocaCola thanks for being such gracious hosts for #SBLIII this week. We agree #TogetherIsBeautiful so we'd like to get our founders together for a celebratory cheers to declare a temporary #ColaTruce for the day. See you at @WorldofCocaCola soon! pic.twitter.com/LX3oyqCB5A
— Pepsi (@pepsi) January 30, 2019
That's the opening salvo that tipped the folks at Coca-Cola off to a impending visit.
.@CocaCola great we're on our way, see you soon! https://t.co/J8mfBVg1oX
— Pepsi (@pepsi) January 30, 2019
Some Pepsi people brought a statue of founder Caleb Bradham, designed to match the statue of Coca-Cola founder John Pemberton, to Atlanta's World of Coca-Cola. They made them toast. Apparently, someone at Coke did not much care for that toast.
Hey @CocaCola we swung by but it looks like you weren't into having us over today...that doesn't feel very #TogetherIsBeautiful. Too bad since it seems like our founders thought it was a good idea when we came by to see you this morning. 😉 pic.twitter.com/engF70okKh
— Pepsi (@pepsi) January 30, 2019
But Pepsi didn't let Coke's I Don't Know Her move stop the publicity stunt. The company announced that for every tweet using the hashtags #ColaTruce and #Share2Donate, a meal would be donated to someone in need via the Atlanta branch of the United Way. And y'all? We cannot criticize this shit.
Thanks @Pepsi! As a result of #ColaTruce, we're able to give back to the Atlanta community by donating 130,000 meals to those in need. Thank you! pic.twitter.com/B8ISYiSQAn
— United Way of Greater Atlanta (@unitedwayatl) January 31, 2019
Boom, 130,000 meals. Your move, Coke.