Pepsi shows how to 'Save The Drama' this Chinese New Year | The Work | Campaign Asia

Etika has launched a Chinese New Year campaign that aims to alleviate festive frustrations while boosting bottle sales during the holiday. 

The campaign, created by FCB Shout and called “Save The Drama,” features a twist on the typical triad boss and damsel in distress trope commonly seen in Chinese films. 

The campaign was created to change consumer behavior and encourage the purchase of Pepsi’s 1.5L bottle format to reduce wastage during Chinese New Year. 

Amy Gan, Etika’s vice president of marketing, acknowledged the difficulty of changing consumer behavior, particularly during a deeply-rooted holiday like Chinese New Year. She said that a strong idea backed by robust consumer insight was necessary for success.

“Not only did the agency produce a campaign that was entertaining as it was insightful, they also executed it well despite the short turnaround time. We’re confident that we will see an uptick in sales for Pepsi 1.5L this festive season,” said Gan. 

While the campaign may be entertaining and well-executed, it is worth noting that the agency’s use of the triad boss trope perpetuates negative stereotypes and may not be well-received by all audiences.  

It is also unclear whether the campaign is a step in the right direction towards sustainability, as it is not mentioned what exactly the campaign is doing to reduce wastage other than encouraging the purchase of a larger bottle.