The hot and cold of the cola wars

Cola wars were always sexy, but today there are so many categories that have become sexier and entertaining

- Suneera Tandon

It's that time of the year again—a scorching summer is upon us with the weather forecaster predicting a hot season ahead. It's only natural to grab a chilled bottle of your favourite fizzy drink to quench your thirst.

Not surprisingly, marketers are pulling out all stops to make sure you choose their brand, continuing the famed cola wars.

Last month, during the ICC Champions Trophy 2025, Coca-Cola launched its "Halftime" campaign. Flush with colour and a compelling background score, it inspires fans to pause, reset, and reignite before getting back to life. While it draws inspiration from the halftime in sports, the ad extends the term to encompass various experiences. The campaign was conceptualized by VML Delhi and directed by Dibakar Banerjee.

Launched globally, the "Halftime" campaign was a combination of brand films, and digital experiences. India led the way for the campaign, with the first film highlighting how a sip of Coca-Cola turns fleeting moments into something special.

PepsiCo responded with a witty counter-campaign—the "anytime is Pepsi time" campaign. It exhorts consumers to sip the refreshing beverage at "any time" instead of waiting for a "halftime". The digital campaign was also supported by full-page newspaper advertisements amplifying the cola wars.

However, Pepsi's tongue-in-cheek take on the Coca-Cola campaign apparently didn't enthuse ad-watchers.