THIRD LARGEST SOFT DRINK BRAND OF THE US NOW IN INDIA, TO BE

AVAILABLE IN 500-ML PET AND 300-ML (SINGLE SERVE) GLASS BOTTLES

Hyderabad: The third largest soft drink brand in the US touched down on Indian shores
- and in great style!

Pepsi unleashed one of the largest selling brands from its international portfolio,
"Mountain Dew", at a first-of-its-kind brand launch, living up to its brand profile and
pedigree. Prepare your senses. You've never seen or tasted anything like it before. It's
New, it's Mountain Dew, with its unique exhilarating citrus taste and neon colour.

The unique neon coloured Mountain Dew - available in 500-ml PET and 300-ml (single
serve) returnable glass bottles (RGB) at an introductory price of Rs 15/- and Rs 8/-
respectively, in all outlets, pubs, restaurants and eateries.

Internationally, Mountain Dew has an integral association with alternative sports, which
encompasses a whole gamut of culture, music and fashion trends. In keeping with that
trend, two of the most popular international ambassadors of Mountain Dew, 23-year-old
Fabiola Da Silva of Brazil, the top female in the field of aggressive inline professionals
and 24-year-old Chad Kagy of the US, the world's top BMX competitor, accompanied
Mountain Dew on its voyage to India, and performed spectacular feats at its unveiling.

Announcing the launch of the new product, Mr. Rajeev Bakshi, Chairman, PepsiCo India
Holdings Pvt. Ltd., said "Mountain Dew is all about connecting with young people by
breaking through to them in ways that capture their attention. "Doing the "Dew" is like
no other soft drink experience because of its daring, high-energy, high-intensity, active,
extreme citrus taste. Mountain Dew is a soft drink that exhilarates like no other because
it gives a refreshing rush of energy. Mountain Dew is going to open up a new need state
- energy, and bring in a whole new dimension to the very lifestyle of youngsters in India.
And this is just the beginning, we have a constant supply of innovative, exciting new
products and promotions over the next few weeks leading upto the world cup."

Mountain Dew will be subsequently rolled out across the country in the coming months.
The new product will be supported by a high-voltage multi-media communication
package, identifying with high-energy outdoor activities, which are popular with the
teens.

To begin with, three ad spots, of 30 seconds duration each, will be launched on all
mainline TV channels. The spots, conceptualised by PepsiCo's ad agency JWT, are made
by young filmmaker Kunal Shivdasani. Shot at various locations in Mumbai such as Film
City, Lonavala and the Borivili Natural Park, the stills of the spots are shot by celebrated
photographer Atul Kasbekar.

This exhilaration and excitement of Mountain Dew is reflected in the high-adrenaline

advertising of the brand and the ownership of the daring fun platform. This is being
arrogated through association with alternative sports and adventure. The irreverent,
self-assured and adventurous character of the brand user is reflected through a group of
cool dudes - Amit Jain, Aamir Ali and Daman Singh of Mumbai and Shibu of Delhi - who
believe in creating their own daring fun.

On one occasion, the much travelled foursome face a moment of reckoning when they
realise that they have really not "Been There, Done That" till the time they have "Done
the Dew". Now firmly hooked to the sheer energy of Dew, the youngsters still raise their
adventurism a few notches higher by matching the stride of a cheetah to literally snatch
a Dew from the sprinting cat.

PepsiCo is also set to roll out an innovative ground communication package through
exciting outdoor
presence and merchandising to generate awareness about Mountain Dew in all major
cities and towns in the country. Specially designed Mountain Dew Cars will hit the roads
in all these places to add to the excitement.

Additionally, PepsiCo has also installed some never-seen-before fun games at some of
the most
popular youth hangouts in cities and towns. "Dew Velcro", "Dew Twin Peaks" and
"Bungee Running" are
some of the world class fun game PepsiCo will bring for the purpose.

Various cities across the country will experience PepsiCo's relentless focus on driving the
brand
properties of energy and exhilaration in ground execution to connect with youth to "Do
the Dew".
Mountain Dew joins the already strong brand portfolio of PepsiCo in India - Pepsi, Diet
Pepsi, Pepsi Aha, the Mirinda range of flavours - Orange, Lemon and Apple, 7UP, Slice,
the Tropicana range of 100% fruit juices, Aquafina and Lehar Evervess Soda.

HISTORY OF MOUNTAIN DEW

Mountain Dew was born way back in 1940's in the hills of Tennessee, US. The name
Mountain Dew was first trademarked by two brothers, Barvey and Ally Hartman, who ran
a bottling plant in Knoxville. Many years later, a gentleman by the name of Bill
Bridgforth perfected the flavour of Mountain Dew as we know it today. Dew's appeal
went national when Pepsi-Cola brought it in 1964.

Global ad agency BBDO was awarded the Mountain Dew account in 1973, which came
out with ads aimed at Dew's true market - young, active and outdoor types. Diet Dew
came into the scene in 1988, providing a great tasting, low-sugar compliment to the
original Dew.

The "Do the Dew" tagline appeared in 1993 along with the Dew Dudes in the award-
winning commercial "Been There, Done That". Mountain Dew sponsored the first-ever X-
games in 1995. The rest is extreme sports history.

Mountain Dew Code Red and Amp Energy Drink burst onto the scene in 2001. Diet
Mountain Code Red was introduced in 2002. Mountain Dew is the third largest soft drink
brand in the US
Mountain Dew launches adventure reality show
Section: Ohter Briefs Category: Marketing

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Company Release
New Delhi, April 10

Mountain Dew, the drink that celebrates the adventurous pulse of the youth, launched India's
biggest adventure reality show with "Mountain Dew Himalayan Challenge 2006". Mountain
Dew has partnered with Uttaranchal Tourism and associated with co-sponsors - Mentos,
Hercules TI, Ten Sports and Weekender. The event, managed by Total Sports &
Entertainment India Pvt. Ltd, brings together an action packed event that promises loads of
adrenalin rush, exhilaration and excitement. The "Mountain Dew Himalayan Challenge
2006" will see 10 teams of 3 contestants each, pitted against each other amidst the mighty
range of Himalayas to win prize money worth Rs 2 lakhs. The Challenge will comprise of
teams participating in daring adventure sports such as rock-climbing, rappelling, GPS
navigated cross-country, white-water rafting and mountain biking.

"The 'Mountain Dew Himalayan Challenge 2006' is designed for all adventure enthusiasts
who dare to challenge and showcase their competitive streak. The event exemplifies
Mountain Dew's daring imagery and we are positive that this will help strengthen Mountain
Dew's association with adventure sports as well as enhance consumer connect in India", said
Mr. Pratik Pota, Executive Vice President, Marketing - Flavours, PepsiCo India.

Uttaranchal has, for many years, has been closely involved with adventure sports and has the
proud onus of being the host state for the mega "Mountain Dew Himalayan Challenge 2006".
The first of its kind initiative in India, the challenge is going to make history of sorts as it
prepares to become the most spectacular adventure spectacle the country has ever seen.

"We are proud to associate with Mountain Dew and launch the mega 'Mountain Dew
Himalayan Challenge 2006' in India. Adventure sports is fast gaining popularity in India and
the event is a reflection of the adventurous spirit that has caught the attention of the youth.
We are positive that such initiatives will give a boost to the competitive sport segment in
India", said Mr. Shail Kapri, Director Business Development, Total Sports Asia.

The "Mountain Dew Himalayan Challenge" will be held in Auli and Rishikesh between 23rd
and 25th of April 2006. On 23rd of April, the teams will compete across rock-climbing,
rappelling and cross-country in Auli. On 25th, they will raft down from Kaudiyala to Laxman
Jhoola in Rishikesh, followed by mountain biking through Rajaji National Park till end at
Rishikesh Barrage. The prize presentation ceremony will take place on the eve of April 25,
which will also see the winners of the 'Runner-Up Trophy' and the 'Mentos Trophy' for the
'quick thinking' team. The event, tagged as India's first and biggest adventure sports reality
show, will be telecasted over 5 episodes on Ten Sports, from May to June 2006. Besides this,
the event will be promoted through heavy activation in press and outdoors to create
awareness and build participation.

To participate in the "Mountain Dew Himalayan Challenge 2006", consumers can fill entry
forms, available at any of the 52 Weekender stores across the country. They can also log on
to www.dewdares.com and enter the challenge. Last date for entries is 18th of April. The
teams will be selected from across 40 cities and will comprise of 3 members each. The
nationwide selection will be on the basis of various parameters such as fitness, health, past
experience etc. Entry is open to all above 18 years of age and is free of cost.
Mountain Dew -Enough of ‘Darr’
2 April 2010 7 Comments

(This article has been co-authored by Shashank Bajaj and Arvind Ramachandran)

Right from its entry into the Indian market in 2003, Mountain Dew has constantly sought to
associate itself with adventure sports to promote and popularize the brand. Remember the ads
featuring the ‘Dew dudes’? And the ones where a guy takes on a cheetah and the one with a
wild ram? All of them were meant to connect with the youth and to establish a high-energy,
high-intensity image for the brand. The initial commercials were instant hits and were
successful in grabbing customer attention. And Mountain Dew went on to capture up to 5%
of the market share within the first 3 months of its launch in 2003.

This phase also saw events featuring BMX bike riders and skateboarders being held across a
number of major cities in the country. This trend continued and in 2005, a stunt biking event
was held in Bangalore. Mountain Dew continued to be associated with ‘youth’ brands and the
thrust was on using adventure sports to capture and cultivate youth following for the brand.
This was in keeping with Mountain Dew’s image and promotion across the world.

Cut to 2010 and you have the ‘Darr kea age jeeth hai’ campaign. Now, the basic theme all
these years has been high-adrenaline ‘adventure’. Has it become a touch too repetitive? Do
we really look forward to any new Mountain Dew ad nowadays? Is it time for Mountain Dew
to disassociate from the ‘adventure’ tag and reposition itself? The latest campaign certainly
seems to be a step in this direction; the commercial attempts to associate the drink with one’s
ability to conquer fear, rather than indulge in thrill-seeking. It appears to be a cautious move
to reposition the brand in an attempt to make it more attractive to a wider consumer base.

The question that arises now is, has Mountain Dew’s association with high-energy adventure
sports or the ‘adventure’ tag in general, been the reason behind its phenomenal success in the
country? Or is it the unique taste of the neon-colored drink? And if we were to doubt the
efficacy of the campaign, what could have prompted PepsiCo to stick with the ‘adventure’
tag?
Adventure sports have never enjoyed as much popularity in India as they have in the US. To
most, adventure sports were and still are, confined to the television, with neither the
inclination nor the means to pursue them. Given this setting, one might argue that ads
featuring adventure sports would have appealed to unfulfilled adventure sport aspirants.
However, given the limited knowledge and appeal at that time, this would certainly account
for a minority only. How then, did Mountain Dew manage to succeed in such a grand
manner?

I feel Mountain Dew’s ads featuring adventure sports were new and different and this novelty
certainly played a role in capturing attention. However, it was the ‘taste’ which appealed to
consumers and helped retain a loyal customer base; the ‘adventure’ tag was just one of the
reasons behind its success. Mountain Dew’s persistence with the adventure theme may have
been an attempt to avoid repeating the mistakes made with 7UP (Initially launched with the
Fido Dido campaign, its failure forced PepsiCo to reposition the brand. They tried to
constantly change and adapt the promotional theme, to preserve the novelty. However, this
sent out mixed signals to the consumers, leaving them confused).

But of course, this is just the way I see it. Was the ‘adventure’ tag instrumental behind
Mountain Dew’s success and should they continue with it? Or is it time for them to move
away from this and reposition themselves? What do you think?
Posted: Friday, Jan 17, 2003 at 0000 hrs IST
Updated: Friday, Jan 17, 2003 at 0000 hrs IST

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Mumbai: : To announce its new launch �Lehar Mountain Dew�, PepsiCo

India Holdings Private Ltd is planning to roll out an aggressive marketing plan which
includes experiential marketing techniques. After launching the new product in Goa last
month, PepsiCo introduced �Mountain Dew� in Mumbai on Thursday.

According to PepsiCo chairman Rajeev Bakshi, the company will complete the national roll-
out of this product by February this year. �After this we have a constant supply of
innovative new products and promotions over the next few weeks leading up to the World
Cup,� he adds.

Prior to the formal launch of this product, the company carried out an extensive market
research to know the response for this neon coloured drink with a citrus taste. Priced at Rs 15
(500 ml) and Rs 8 (300 ml), the new product is available at all Pepsi outlets, pubs, restaurants
and eateries across Mumbai.

According to the company, the new launch will be supported by a multi-media

communication package which includes three television commercials designed by JWT
India.�To begin with three ad spots will be launched on all mainline television channels.
Also, we will launch sampling activities to give the real experience of our new product to
consumers,� informs the company spokesperson.

In addition, the company is planning to roll out a host of ground promotions across all major
cities in the country.

In India, PepsiCo�s other offerings include Pepsi, Diet Pepsi, Pepsi Aha, Mirinda,
Tropicana and Aquafina among others.
Brand Repositioning: A Study of Mountain Dew

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March 23, 2010 by neha Comments (0)

india, mountain dew, repositioning

Mountain Dew, the soft drink distributed and manufactured by PepsiCo was was invented in
Knoxville, Tennessee in the 1940s. As of 2007, Mountain Dew was the fourth-best-selling
carbonated soft drink in the United States, behind only Coca-Cola Classic, Pepsi-Cola, and
Diet Coke.

Mountain Dew’s name is a Irish slang for home-distilled alcohol. By eluding to what is by
itself a euphemism, Mountain Dew creates a metaleptic relation to a world of undulating
terrain and mists. The logo further reinforces this imagery. The ‘M’ and ‘W’ are overly large
– possibly to give the look of mountain peaks and troughs. The colour green is a universally
associated with plant life, while red is a colour of aggression and passion which connects
with Dew’s secondary association with extreme sports.

Initially a drink with strong following with rural middle-aged people, it target demographic
today is radically different. The drink is mainly marketed to people in the 12-30 year old
demographic group, creating a connection to activities like extreme sports and to the video
game culture.

While Mountain Dew is a popular case study in marketing circles, I wish to focus on its brand
repositioning in India.
Launched in Indian in early 2003, Mountain Dew was positioned as an ‘energy and
exhilaration' drink – same as across the world. Pepsi started with two JWT India-created
television commercials that attempted to capture the brand's spunk and attitude. The first ad
featured four ‘Dew Dudes’ being asked (by a voice over) whether they'd visited some famous
tourist attractions around the world. On being asked ‘Big Ben dekha?', the ads show shots of
the boys bungee jumping off the Big Ben. ‘Jump maara,' one of them answers, ‘Baja diya
baarah,' says another, ‘Par boring thaa saara,' a third shrugs. The ad continues in this vain
till the voice over asks ‘Sab kuchh toh kiya, but have you done the dew?' The boys vouch for
the drink as soon as they taste it.

The second ad became a cult hit. It featured a Dew Dude on a bike chasing a cheetah in a
Savannah, catching up with it, leaping and wrestling it into submission before pulling a can
of Mountain Dew from its throat! ‘Cheetah bhi peeta hai' remarked another Dew Dude.

Yet, Mountain Dew did not live up to all the hype. A survey by Synovate in late 2005 among
16-20 year old SEC A1 & SEC A2 showed that people preferred Sprite and Limca, with
Mountain Dew performing only a shade better than Frooti. This ‘baffling’ result revealed an
insight. Firstly, the concept of extreme sports is limited to Indian metros, that too among the
more upwardly mobile sections. And even there, awareness does not necessarily mean
appeal. There aren't many ‘outdoorsy types' in this country - at least not the kind Mountain
Dew has in mind. The ad campaigns itself were found to be over the top and unrealistic. This
survey and the market performance of Mountain Dew set the stage for a course correction.

Yet such a course-correction has to remain faithful to the current clientèle of Mountain Dew
and conform to the global branding of Mountain Dew. Just a market repositioning rather than
a radical re-branding was what was the need of the hour.

This repositioning saw the introduction of the ‘Dar Ke Aage Jeet Hai’ campaign. Designed
by JWT India, these ad was set in a river rapid where some guys were going to attempt river
rafting. The ad starts with a nervous guy telling himself ‘Itna mat dar, beta Joy. Sunny ko
dekh, kaisa chilled out sa baitha hai’. Sunny is saying a silent prayer ‘Bhagwaan, aaj
apne Sunny ko bacha lena. MainAnshul ki tarah stud nahin hoon’. Anshul, a well-built guy
is thinking ‘Kya faayda teri body ka Anshul? Sabse dara toh tu hi hai’. Suddenly,
accompanying shots of the raft overturning a voice over remarks ‘Boss, dar sabko lagta hai,
gala sabka sookhta hai. Toh aaney do dar ko, kyunki dar ke aagey jeet hai’. The next shot
show cheerleaders worrying for the overboard rafters when suddenly the raft comes out of the
water and wins the race.

As we can see, the ad portrays the Dew Dudes human beings with normal emotions like fear.
Instead of asking for people who have ‘been there done that’ to adopt Mountain Dew it asks
for people who wish to conquer fear to adopt Mountain Dew. Thus the campaign effected a
subtle repositioning of the brand from that focusing on identification with the Dew Dudes to
one focusing on the aspirational quality of conquering ones inner monsters. All the while it
remains faithful to its association with adventure.

This ‘mainstreaming’ of Mountain Dew also reflected in its secondary associations. From
sponsoring fringe/niche extreme sporting events in India, Mountain Dew has moved to
sponsoring regular sports and even movies. One case point was ‘Mission Istanbul - Dar Ke
Aage Jeet Hai’ placing their tagline in the movie title itself!
http://www.docstoc.com/docs/24777377/Report-on-Marketing-Strategy-of-
Mountain-Dew
Mountain Dew integrates tagline in the name of the movie

Gunjan Prasad, 28 July, 2008

New Delhi

Taking in-film placements to the next level, Mountain Dew, the neon drink from PepsiCo,
has integrated its tag line -- 'Darr ke aagey jeet hai' -- in the name of an upcoming thriller,
Mission Istaanbul.

Commenting on Mountain Dew's association, Ms. Jyotsna Gadi, Executive Vice President,
Marketing – Flavours, PepsiCo India said, "Mountain Dew is a brand that exemplifies
exhilaration, adrenalin and a 'can do attitude'. We are proud to announce the partnership
between Mountain Dew and Mission Istaanbul- 'Darr ke aagey Jeet hai', as this is the first
time a brand philosophy and its tag line have been adopted for a movie. This is a testimony of
the popularity and connect the baseline has been able to achieve."

The association is also backed by a comprehensive communication plan comprising of

modern trade, television and a nationwide exciting contest that is running in eateries,
restaurants and multiplexes. A specially created television commercial with shots from the
movie have also broken on screens recently.
Latest Mountain Dew ad in sync with gutsy youth image
June 05, 04

Ashish Singh
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Mountain Dew needs no cheeky preambles. It is young in its essence of

captivating the young mind. It is all about the ad, guys. Mountain
Dew’s latest International TVC on air is like staying in the monotonous
Brand Speak
clutter but screaming to make a mark, there itself.

The four musketeers are unmistakable for their spirit to ‘Do the Dew’.
Only this time our Indian dare-devils have been replaced by their
international counterparts. The advertisement’s spirit of thrill lies not in
the taste but in the entire experience of exhilaration.

They have done it all. Start from bungee down the Big Ben to chasing
a wild cheetah – all for a Mountain Dew. They are even ready to dive
into a raging whirlpool for their gulp. The latest ad is another attempt
to showcase what degree of obsession the drink creates in a young
freak.

On the trail of the similar passion, the latest 30-second commercial

zooms on a Mountain Dew bottle, placed on a rock and amorously
being looked upon by a ram. The action starts when the ram smells a
challenge. Why a challenge? The fierce ram meets the Dew dudes and
lays claim to their drink. And, what follows is a manic, adrenaline-pumping, almost
unbelievable chain of events that leaves one gasping. The ram is ready to wham onto the
dude to get the Dew. Unbelievably, the dude is charged up to take the uncalled challenge.
They strike head on. The dude goes down in the first attempt but garners enough strength and
power to beat the ram this time and he makes it.

The voice-over gels with the essence of bravado. It goes as: ‘Yeh do paanv ka jaanwar hai to
shant par iski Mountain Dew ko agar koi khatra ho to yeh paagal ho jaata hai.’ And make
sure you do catch the last line. The inimitable Mountain Dew humor is sure to bring a smile.

The new TVC carries forward the high-voltage advertising of Mountain Dew, and
consolidates the brand proposition of exhilaration and a daring, high-energy, high-intensity,
active lifestyle. The new Dew TVC reinforces the brand construct –‘You haven’t done
anything if you haven’t done the Dew…Dew is what the coolest do.’
Brainchild of BBDO, New York, the advertisement is produced by the House of Usher and
has been directed by Kinka Usher. Inevitably, Mountain Dew's association with adventure
sports helped establish a brand proposition of ‘exhilarating rush’ and a daring, high-intensity
lifestyle, and put Dew on an unprecedented growth trajectory.

Mindshare, which handles the media planning and buying duties of PepsiCo, have introduced
slight variations this time. An internal source said that generally the strategy was always
niche-driven but the only exception was the high skew to the English niche channels like
AXN, National Geographic Channel and Discovery.

Pepsi has already clinched two major honours at the third annual All India Promo Power
Awards ceremony. The company romped home with a gold award for the best promotion of
the ‘World Cup Ke Shikari’ campaign and the best product launch award for the launch of
Mountain Dew in India. The three-member jury board compromised George Skaria, Arun
Hegde and Sreekant Khandekar.

Pepsi was thirsty for this fizz to venture into the lemon-lime segment with a strong brand
presence. While it has always been a quandary over the No 1 and No 2 slots in the carbonated
soft drinks market but to say so these pushy and aggressive advertisements have indeed made
a difference among the TV viewers. In the advertising sense, Mountain Dew is being
positioned as an ‘energy and exhilaration’ drink – a platform common to the brand,
internationally.

The brand portfolio of PepsiCo in India comprises of Pepsi, Diet Pepsi, Pepsi Aha, the
Mirinda range of flavours, coming in orange and lemon, 7UP, Slice, the Tropicana range of
fruit juices, Aquafina and Lehar Evervess Soda. The brand Mountain Dew was launched in
1940s in the US and was bought by Pepsi in 1964. The cola major launched the drink in India
in January, 2003.
Emvies 2007: In rural areas, just Dew it
By Devina Joshi, agencyfaqs!, Mumbai, June 27, 2007
Section: News Category: Media Planning & Buying

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MindShare was faced with the task of making adventure drink Mountain
Dew appeal to the rural junta. Here’s what the team did .

Launched in 2003, cold drink Mountain Dew has, through its rather ‘daring’ adverts,
managed to build a reputation for itself as an adventurous, bold brand over time. At the
Emvies 2007 case study presentation round, MindShare spoke about its work for Mountain
Dew (entered in the category Best Media Innovation: Events), indicating that all is not
hunky-dory for the brand.

For one, it is learnt that Mountain Dew thrives on high loyalty but only from the metros. This
loyalty base needed to be expanded to the vast, untapped rural markets – a tough job for an
urban drink. It was important to generate trials while keeping alive the brand values of rush,
exhilaration and adventure.

But there were roadblocks: rural people were of the opinion that adventure is limited to what
they see their favourite heroes perform on-screen (movies and television). For them,
adventure was a larger than life concept. In all, they were unexposed to the brand and its
values.

Hence, MindShare came up with the concept of executing the ‘Dew Dares’ events, which had
rural India participating in semi-dangerous, fun-filled activities such as rope-climbing, at the
‘Dew’ camps. This was done in order to give them the brand experience, and a chance to do
what they would normally be content with simply watching. Needless to say, Mountain Dew
was sold at these events.

Further, there was a tie-up with publications such as ‘Lokmat’, ‘The Telegraph’, ‘Dainik
Bhaskar’, and ‘Dainik Jagran’, as print reach is high in the targeted areas. Print posed the
opportunity of mass coverage, apart from equipping readers with discount coupons
redeemable at the event. The three-month activity was conducted in 16 states, across 1067
locations in 347 towns.
As a result, there were 500,000 paid trials in the country, with a bottle of the drink being sold
every minute. This resulted in a 50 per cent sustained volume growth for the brand, as well as
a 50 per cent increase in imagery scores in the targeted markets.