Pepsi changes the face of marketing in the Middle East

By creative thinking and bold ideas, Pepsi was able to bond with their customers like no other brand has, creating trust and reliability and nurturing an enduring relationship with its consumers.

PepsiCo International has chosen a new approach to communicate with their consumers by entering the world of movie entertainment; they are producing a full length musical feature film entitled Bahr Al Nujoom (Sea of Stars) which will hit theatres in spring 2008.

The movie combines the astounding voices of talented celebrities Haifa Wehbe, Wael Kfouri, Carole Samaha, Ahmad Al Cherif and Ruweida Al Mahrouqi, comprising an alluring cast specifically chosen to represent the Pepsi brand in this original movie... yet another way of staying ahead in an increasingly competitive environment.

"Pepsi constantly looks at new innovative techniques that give us an edge from a consumer marketing perspective, and Bahr Al Nojoom will certainly cause a stir!" said Rima Chammas, Regional Marketing Director PepsiCo International.

"We have simply taken our existing marketing strategies to new levels and given them a creative edge, daring customers to ask for more in generations to come."

Glimpsing back at the history of Pepsi, we find that in the early 80's, Pepsi created a revolution when they featured Michael Jackson in a television commercial introducing music marketing for the first time, another milestone in the history of Pepsi's innovative techniques. Today Pepsi's music brand ambassadors include international celebrities such as Beyonce, Pink, Shakira and many more, not forgetting the prominent Arab stars such as Amr Diab, Elissa and Nawal Al Zoughbi who joined the Pepsi Family in the early 90's.

"Associating products with a celebrity that the target consumer likes, enjoys and identifies with has been successful in the past," continued Rima Chammas. "Of course you need to select the right celebrity, someone who is a good role model for consumers which is why the celebrities we have chosen for Bahr Al Nujoom are all either at the height of their career or just getting started in the business. Together they bring credibility to the project because some of them have been around for a long time, while others are new faces on the Arab music scene, making fans keen to get to know them even better."