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Ivan Arthur was National Creative Director of JWT India when the iconic ‘Nothing Official About It' campaign was created, in 1996. BrandLine connected with the advertising veteran, now in retirement paradise Goa, to recount the strategy behind the campaign:
“The campaign was handled by our brilliant team in Delhi. I was based in Mumbai then, but very much in the picture, and have fond memories of this campaign. The situation was simple.
The competitor was the official sponsor. Pepsi lost out on the bid. The question was: ‘What do we do now?' They decided to turn the fact that they weren't the official sponsor on its head. The idea was born during a brainstorming session at our Delhi office. The best did come out when we had our backs to the wall.
“The point is, whether you call it ambush or whatever else, this campaign was very much in the genes of the brand. Pepsi has always been a fighter brand, a challenger brand, a young brand. This wasn't a deviation from what the brand stood for. The strategy was to win the audience over before the war is won. When you're fighting a giant, there are two possibilities - you can try to kill the giant, which is very unlikely. Alternatively, you can fight to entertain, and win the audience over. It's really giving a pat on the back to the audience, rewarding them.
“In advertising, you don't have to fight like Al Qaeda, you have to fight like Jackie Chan. Pepsi had it in its genes to fight with a smile, to fight with a smile, to the faces of the audience.”
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