Pepsi has partnered with Italian TikTok star Khaby Lame in the run up to the US release of its latest beverage, Pepsi Nitro.
Pepsi Nitro will hit the shelves on 28 March and will be backed by a fully integrated marketing campaign, in which Khaby Lame is set to play a leading role. The soft drink giant will no doubt hope to tap into some of the Italian’s 135 million followers on the platform.
‘A Smoother Way to Soda’ will focus on Nitro Pepsi’s USP as a smoother, less carbonated alternative to the brand’s traditional cola drinks.
Lame’s comedic videos seek to point out the glaringly obvious, and with this partnership, Pepsi hopes “to show off how obviously simple and smooth Nitro Pepsi is.”
American photographer, Dave LaChapelle has been enlisted to curate the collaboration’s photographic direction.
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“I’m honoured to partner with Pepsi on their new Nitro Pepsi ‘A Smoother Way to Soda’ campaign and work with the iconic David LaChapelle,” Lame said.
“So much of my content is about showing, not telling, and that’s exactly what I did with Nitro Pepsi.
“I can’t wait for fans to see how we collaborated on this campaign.”
Since gaining fame on the social media platform, Lame has been recruited for a wide range of global brands as a celebrity partner. The Italian has even inked a multi-year deal with iconic fashion house Hugo Boss.
Pepsi chief marketing officer, Todd Kaplan explained the multinational’s reasoning behind the partnership: “Since Khaby Lame is known for pointing out the obvious with the use of his signature hand gestures, we felt he was the perfect person to show the world Nitro Pepsi is a simple solution for those who prefer less carbonation than that of a traditional cola.
“In this campaign, Khaby shows off how to pour and enjoy Nitro Pepsi – which is as smooth as Khaby is – without saying a word.”
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