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Business News Deals Live Business
Live Nation switches cola allegiances to Pepsi in the US
By Chris Cooke | Published on Tuesday 17 March 2015
OK, so the big news today is that I’ve not had a sip of Coke or Pepsi, or any fizzy drink for that matter, for 72 days. Which you might be thinking is no big brag, unless you’ve met me, in which case you’ll know that that’s a major lifestyle change.
Because Coke with a capital ‘c’ had always been my main vice. I used to drink litres of the stuff every week, sometimes every day, but no more. Oh no. It’s all water and fruit juices for me now. Yesterday I even drank some carrot juice. Juice from a carrot! These are crazy times, people. And I’d better get an extra six months of life at the end of all this, otherwise what was the fucking point?
But, here’s the thing, I may no longer partake in the black syrup of the Gods, but I still consider myself an expert of the various recipes and brews that exist in the cola domain. And it goes like this: canned Pepsi is better than canned Coke, but bottled Coke is better than bottled Pepsi, though if it’s on draught, it can go either way.
Also, if the can of Pepsi doesn’t have a GB logo on it somewhere, be suspicious. I mean, I don’t want to get all UKIP on your ass, but each country has its own recipe, and taste and gassiness differs a lot around the world. And if the ingredients on the side of the can are written in Turkish, throw that can as far as your syrup-fuelled muscles will allow. No offence Turkey, but your Pepsi tastes rank.
Anyway, I mention this because Live Nation in the US has just announced a multi-year partnership with PespiCo which will see Coca Cola products banished from the live music major’s arenas and bars faster even than I would dispose of that can of Turkish Pepsi.
Under the deal PepsiCo will become Live Nation’s official “carbonated soft drink and bottled water”, which is a claim to fame Pepsi execs will surely be sharing with their grandchildren for decades to come. That also means Live Nation venues stateside will be flogging Mountain Dew too, instead of whatever Coke’s crappy water brand is these days.
As well as ‘pouring rights’, Pepsi will also run a series of promotions with Live Nation artists, including meet and greets, sound check access and festival tie-ins, basically all the text book music-brand partnership malarkey. But whatever you think about all that, it’s certainly going to elevate Pepsi’s robust music platform to new levels.
Or in the words of Pepsi’s VP of Consumer Engagement Adam Harter: “Our partnership with Live Nation elevates our robust music platform to new levels”. See, told you. “For decades, Pepsi has been a leader in music and has always focused on providing fans with unparalleled access to great music and their favourite artists. Live Nation will play a dynamic role in our new ‘Out Of The Blue’ music campaign as we deliver new and exciting music experiences in a way only Pepsi can deliver”.
Let’s just hope a ready supply of Turkish Pepsi isn’t part of the deal.
