PepsiCo has relaunched its #gameready UEFA Champions League promotion across its soft drinks and savoury snacks portfolio, offering football fans the chance to win hourly prizes of UEFA related merchandise plus entry to a draw to win tickets to the UEFA quarter final, semi final and final matches and a grand prize of a VIP trip for two to the Final in Milan.

The on-pack promotion is capitalising on PepsiCo’s sponsorship of the UEFA Champions and will give the brands high visibility with football fans in advance of the start of the Euro 2016 tournament in France on June 10. The UEFA Champions League Final takes place on May 28.

One entrant will win the grand prize package, including travel to Milan for two people, a tour of the city, lunch, evening drinks reception and a shopping trip, plus tickets to the final.

There are another six pairs of tickets for the final to be won, including travel and accommodation. There are then 20 pairs of Semi-Final tickets and 32 pairs of Quarter-Final tickets available.

There are 40,000 hourly prizes to be won, including 22,000 UEFA Champions League branded T-shirts, 10,000 UEFA Champions League branded footballs and 8,000 UEFA Champions League branded sharing crisp bowls.

Consumers can enter up to 24 times a day, but have to have a different unique code from a promotional pack each time they enter. Entry is via the promotional website, www.game-ready.com.

The promotion is currently running in the UK, Republic of Ireland and Germany on PepsiCo’s Walker’s Lay’s and Doritos products. From March 1 2016, it will be rolling out to another 12 European countries and will also be appearing on-pack across Pepsi and Pepsi Max  products.

PepsiCo first ran a #gameready between September 12 2015 and November 12 2015. That campaign was supposedly the first to be run simultaneously by PepsiCo across its European markets on both food and beverage brands.

Thomas Barkholt, Marketing Director at Walkers, says: “We’re thrilled to be launching our latest #Gameready promotional campaign in conjunction with our UEFA Champions League sponsorship. This football tournament is renowned as one of the most anticipated competitions in the sporting calendar and we’re delighted to be offering match tickets to football fans across Europe, including an exclusive VIP trip to the final – the world’s biggest annual sporting event!”

PepsiCo’s latest on-pack promotion will be supported with a major marketing campaign, including new high-profile TV advertising featuring Britain’s Gary Lineker and football superstar Lionel Messi, strong levels of in-store activities, digital, social media and impactful POS materials. Additionally, the campaign will be supported by stadium branding, interview backdrops and perimeter boards.

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PepsiCo’s Lay’s potato chip brand will be running yet another flavour challenge in the US, starting next month. The new “Flavor Swap” program will see Lay’s fans asked to vote for four classic flavours or four new chip flavours.

From February 8, fans can vote for their favourite flavour in each of the four “Flavor Swap” pairings, and enter a $1,000 daily prize draw. One lucky fan will win a $250,000 cash prize for simply placing his or her vote.

Consumers can visit FlavorSwap.com to select their favourite flavour in each of the four categories:

• Heat: Lay’s Flamin’ Hot vs. all-new Lay’s Fiery Roasted Habanero;
• Cheese: Lay’s Cheddar & Sour Cream vs. all-new Lay’s Smoked Gouda & Chive;
• Barbecue: Lay’s Honey Barbecue vs. all-new Lay’s Korean Barbecue;
• Spice: Lay’s Kettle Cooked Sea Salt & Cracked Pepper vs. all-new Lay’s Kettle Cooked Olive Oil & Herbs.

The rise of flavour exploration is the insight behind the latest campaign, according to Jennifer Saenz, vice president of marketing and innovation at Frito-Lay. She says that the top flavour trends for 2016 will focus on spices, cheese, and herbs. Spices from all around the world continue to grow in popularity in American dishes and flavours. American staples will get an extra notch of flavour through the rising popularity of specialty cheeses like gouda and gorgonzola. The big twist on herbs next year will be using floral flavors, such as hibiscus, elderflower and lavender.

“Our fans keep us on the pulse of flavor exploration. ‘Do Us A Flavor’ showed us consumers want to be surprised with new and unconventional flavors – but we also recognize they love the tried and true classic Lay’s flavors,” says Saenz. “That’s why we’re asking them what to keep and what to lose.”

Ram Krishnan, chief marketing officer for Frito-Lay, PepsiCo’s savoury snacks subsidiary, which makes Lay’s, observes: “Over the last three years, the iconic Lay’s ‘Do Us a Flavor’ contest asked fans to submit their ideas for the next great potato chip flavor. Past winning flavors, including Lay’s Cheesy Garlic Bread, Lay’s Kettle Cooked Wasabi Ginger, and Lay’s Southern Biscuits and Gravy prove that Americans are on the hunt for unexpected and unique flavors. While ‘Do Us a Flavor’ spotlighted fans who wanted to create the next great potato chip flavor, ‘Flavor Swap’ celebrates fans who simply enjoy flavor and want to have a say.”

Lay’s is the American equivalent brand to the UK’s Walkers; both have run a variety of flavour challenge promotional campaigns over the past decade, including Do Us A Flavour/Flavor.

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