PepsiCo is counting on Pascal Siakam to provide a boost for its latest collab.
The CPG’s Ruffles brand is teaming up with the Raptor star for a streetwear collection – designed by Ghanaian-Canadian designer Spencer Badu – to embody the team and the snack brand’s boldness and expressiveness.
The “Cut Different” collection features three original pieces, a windbreaker and workwear jacket, a T-shirt and a toque.
According to the company, as an “OG chip with ridges, the Ruffles brand is all for celebrating what makes us unique or ‘Cut Different.’”
“The Ruffles brand is all about proudly embracing the ‘ridges’ that make you who you are,” says Jess Spaulding, CMO of PepsiCo Foods Canada. “Fashion is the perfect expression of this and we’re thrilled to partner with such a talented Canadian designer.”
The collaboration is being amplified from end-to-end, using media – including a combination of OOH placements and wild postings – along with media relations, paid and organic social content, OLV and contextual TVC.
PepsiCo is also running a national point of sale/retail program, driving awareness and excitement around the partnership with the Toronto Raptors and the NBA, while building hype for the “Cut Different” collection in grocery retail locations across the country.
At last weekend’s Raptor game, the brand invited media and influencers for an exclusive game experience, including a first look at the collection and the opportunity to speak with Spencer Badu about his inspiration behind the limited-edition lineup.
PepsiCo also offered Raptors fans at Scotiabank Arena a chance to customize their merch with Ruffles x Raptors clothing patches. Every piece of the campaign drives to the “Cut Different” microsite, where fans can check out the LTO collection for themselves and enter for a chance to ‘cop the drop’ from now until Dec. 1.
The fashion collab comes on the heels of another team up: KFC-flavoured Ruffles, which came back to market this summer, tapped the brand equity of the popular QSR.
Creative was handled by Motive, media by OMD, PR by Citizen Relations, social media by Praxis and POS by MarkIV.
In October’s Q3 earnings report, PepsiCo says its key trademark snack brands, including Ruffles, but also Doritos and Cheetos, delivered strong net revenue growth.
