Pepsi Celebrates Unapologetic Locals For Doing Their 'New York Thing' With $150,000 To Real New Yorkers

NEW YORK, July 7, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The only thing more iconic than New York City's landmarks is its people. From subway performers to bodega owners, fledging artists to creative masterminds, New York City has no shortage of diverse talent and passions. To celebrate these diverse passions, Pepsi is bringing nine locals representing all five Boroughs front and center to be the face of its newly launched summer campaign, "Pepsi. It's a New York Thing.," and giving them each $10,000 to continue unapologetically embodying the true character of the city that never sleeps.

The brand is also inviting New Yorkers to nominate six more locals to get their own shot at $10,000 in support of their passion, for a total of $150,000 going to the City's own.

"Pepsi is an unapologetic brand and a New York company through and through, from our headquarters location to our place on the city skyline, and we want Pepsi engrained within NYC culture," said Umi Patel, CMO of North Division, PepsiCo Beverages North America. "This campaign is about continuing to show our pride and support for New York City, our home for decades, and celebrating the people whose diversity, unique energy and unapologetic enjoyment for their passions make it one of the best places in the world. Like these passionate locals, Pepsi is 'a New York thing.'"

The work is part of a larger 360 campaign that will feature the locals across billboards and digital content, and comes off the back of the brand's latest custom product packaging just for New York City, featuring the City's most recognizable landmarks including the Brooklyn Bridge, Times Square, and a shout-out to the classic NYC hot dog vendor. The product is available now in 20oz. and 1.25-liter bottles of Pepsi, Pepsi Zero Sugar and Diet Pepsi across the city at local bodegas, corner delis, neighborhood grocers, and larger regional supermarkets.

Spanning all five Boroughs and representing performers, artists, entrepreneurs and more, the New Yorkers featured in the campaign include:

• Kwame 'Hass' Thimbiano, a hospitality worker and artist behind Danyaki designs, a custom apron brand for professional chefs based in the Bronx;
• Tariq Zaid, a Staten Island based entrepreneur who opened local clothing shop Richmond Hood Co., and Vodega, a vegan bodega;
• Natalia "Saw Lady" Paruz, a subway performer from Queens who uses the item of destruction to create eerily enchanting music;
• Andrew Ousley, a Brooklyn musician and founder of Death of Classical, a group that plays classical music in crypts, cemeteries and other unusual locations;
• Pixie Aventura, a Latinx drag queen, actor, and singer in Manhattan;
• Blu deTiger, a young recording artist and bassist born and bred in the City with a star on the rise;
• Shealyn Brand, a Brooklynite who turned her love of pizza into a business as a connoisseur of her favorite food;
• Ahmed Alwan, a young bodega owner in the Bronx who rose to TikTok fame through the unique, playful way he engages with his customers;
• Caitlin Doyle, an actress and creative in Queens who started the Instagram account @Urban.Haiku as an ode to New York City. 

Fans can nominate the people they know to be one of the six winners by going on social media, using both the hashtags #PepsiNYCLocal and #Contest and tagging @Pepsi, and telling everyone why the nominee should be the next local that Pepsi honors. To learn more and for official rules, visit www.PepsiItsANewYorkThing.com. Campaign video content featuring local New Yorkers can also be viewed here.

About PepsiCo

PepsiCo products are enjoyed by consumers more than one billion times a day in more than 200 countries and territories around the world. PepsiCo generated more than $70 billion in net revenue in 2020, driven by a complementary food and beverage portfolio that includes Frito-Lay, Gatorade, Pepsi-Cola, Quaker, Tropicana and SodaStream. PepsiCo's product portfolio includes a wide range of enjoyable foods and beverages, including 23 brands that generate more than $1 billion each in estimated annual retail sales.

Guiding PepsiCo is our vision to Be the Global Leader in Convenient Foods and Beverages by Winning with Purpose. "Winning with Purpose" reflects our ambition to win sustainably in the marketplace and embed purpose into all aspects of our business strategy and brands. For more information, visit www.pepsico.com.

SOURCE PepsiCo Beverages North America