Pepsi brings back the Pepsi Challenge for Super Bowl LX, starring a polar bear and touting Pepsi Zero Sugar’s growth in a playful jab at Coke Zero.
Pepsi is bringing the Pepsi Challenge to advertising’s biggest stage with a 30-second commercial set to air during Super Bowl LX. The spot, developed by the PepsiCo Content Studio and BBDO, marks a major push behind Pepsi Zero Sugar, one of the brand’s fastest-growing products.
First teased on Jan. 25, the ad follows a cola-loving polar bear whose world is upended after he chooses Pepsi Zero Sugar over Coke Zero in a blind taste test. Shaken by the revelation, the bear seeks help from a psychiatrist and discovers a world filled with other Pepsi Zero Sugar fans. The commercial also includes a tongue-in-cheek reference to last summer’s viral Coldplay “kiss cam” moment.
“What we’re doing today is a big reset moment—a big idea that we’re going to see throughout the Super Bowl and the rest of the year,” said Gustavo Reyna, Pepsi’s vice president of marketing. “Pepsi Zero Sugar is driving growth for us ahead of the category, and it’s become one of our main growth drivers. So we’re doubling down on it.”
The ad was directed by filmmaker Taika Waititi, who also appears on screen as the polar bear’s therapist. The soundtrack features Queen’s classic “I Want to Break Free.”
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A Modern Spin on a Classic Campaign
The Pepsi Challenge debuted in 1975 as a simple but bold proposition: invite consumers to compare Pepsi and Coke without labels or brand bias. The concept has returned in various forms over the decades, including a nationwide taste-test tour in 2025.
This year’s version raises the competitive stakes by using a polar bear—an animal long associated with Coca-Cola—as the centerpiece of the ad. Coca-Cola first featured polar bears in advertising in 1922, and the creatures became a signature mascot for the brand in the 1990s.
Pepsi says the playful twist underscores its confidence in consumer preference data.
“We are here to prove that Pepsi is the best-tasting cola in the market, confirmed by 66% of Americans,” Reyna said, citing results from the 2025 Pepsi Challenge. “Everyone, including the bear, has the right to rethink their choice of cola.”
A Familiar Stage for Pepsi Zero Sugar
Pepsi Zero Sugar has been a recurring presence in Super Bowl advertising. In 2023, actors Ben Stiller and Steve Martin appeared in meta-themed ads for the brand, while earlier campaigns featured Missy Elliott and H.E.R. reimagining The Rolling Stones’ “Paint It Black.”
This year’s campaign will extend well beyond game day, with activations across out-of-home media, social platforms, creator partnerships, podcasts, and other channels. Pepsi also plans to release “edutainment” content aimed at explaining the results of the Pepsi Challenge in engaging ways.
Additional promotions include a social media giveaway on X during the Super Bowl, complimentary Pepsi Challenge kits delivered through Gopuff, and appearances by the polar bear mascot across social media and at events in the Bay Area during Super Bowl week.
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Chasing Growth Against a Bigger Rival
Despite its momentum, Pepsi Zero Sugar still trails Coke Zero in overall market share. According to Beverage Digest data for the first nine months of 2025, Pepsi Zero Sugar held a 1.4% share of the carbonated soft drink market, compared with Coke Zero’s 4.6%.
But Pepsi Zero Sugar is growing faster. The brand’s volume increased 18.1% during that period, far outpacing Coke Zero’s 4.8% growth. Pepsi says its zero-sugar offering expanded 30.8% overall in 2025 and reached more than one million new households.
“We’re bringing the challenge back for a number of reasons,” Reyna said. “It’s a proven success, both in the past and in the present. It’s a way for us to embrace our challenger DNA.”
For Pepsi, the Super Bowl ad is not just a playful jab at a longtime rival—it’s a declaration that the cola wars are far from over.
