Soft drink brand Dr. Pepper is celebrating the power of weird with a bizarre new series of spots that encourage the public to embrace the strange to ward off boredom.
Developed by creative agency Pablo, three hero films – ‘Skeleton’, ‘Sloth’ and ‘X-Ray’ – each feature a doctor (with a can of Dr Pepper Zero instead of a head) explaining how people’s lives could be improved if they take his advice and ‘Try More Weird’.
The doctor’s suggestion is punctuated by some increasingly unnerving footage, set to a confusing cacophony of sounds which some might even go so far as to describe as music.
The films are supported across the UK by a series of executions across social media, out-of-home, digital and event-based sampling promotions.
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The work aims to bring a bit of novelty to Brits after insight showed that 65% of the nation felt they needed more excitement in their day-to-day lives. According to the iconic beverage, much of the UK has defaulted to taking ‘uninspiring breaks’, with as many as 97% of Gen Zs ‘doomscrolling’ during their downtime.
The OOH and digital ads feature messages which will change based on the time of day when people are taking a break from work.
Pablo CEO, Gareth Mercer added: “As a weirdo and a lover of Dr Pepper, this campaign sees two of my favourite things coming together. It’s great to see Dr Pepper come alive again after being quiet for so long.
“There are so many brands telling us to be cool and to do something, so we are hoping it’s refreshing for one to encourage us to try something a bit more weird.
“After all, where would we be without innovators that thought differently?”
“At Dr Pepper, we believe that ‘weird’ is something magical, energising and surprisingly good. Even if we’re a little nervous to give it a try,” The Coca-Cola Company creative strategy director, Henry Poynor said.
“Whether it’s trying a weird new activity, some weird content or even a weird but delicious beverage, weird has the power to spice up an otherwise dull daily routine.”