Pepsi Returns to The Scene
Pepsi-Cola Co. is back as title sponsor of The Scene, a back-to-school mall tour targeting teens.
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| The Scene drew about 5,000 teens at each stop last year |
Four other marketers are also returning for their third stint as sponsors:
CosmoGirl, haircare brand Joico, Nickelodeon’s teen network The N, and DK BMX Biking.
They’re joined by new sponsors Ford Motor Co., Sony (via returning partner Amusematte) and ESB Productions.
The Scene travels to 12 malls managed by General Growth Properties, which has run the event for six years.
“The tour is more popular than ever this year. We sold out the sponsorships several months ago,” said Doug Johnson, GGP’s director-strategic partnership strategy. The Scene — now in its sixth year — drew an average 5,000 teens each day last year.
The tour runs July 16 through Oct. 1, spending one Saturday at each of the 12 malls.
“Teens told us, ‘Don’t have an event over several days, because we’ll just procrastinate,'” Johnson said. “We listened to them.”
Attractions include a BMX Bike Stunt Show, sponsored by Mountain Dew; appearances by stars of The N’s hit show Degrassi; and a “So You Want To Be A Model Contest” by ESB Productions — winners earn an appearance in CosmoGirl.
A CosmoGIRL! Boutique showcases trendy goods; Sony lets visitors create their own “scenes” on a digital green screen; Joico gives makeovers. Ford’s teen-safety division, Ford Motor Fund, hosts Driving Skills for Life, a safe-driving program developed with the Governors Highway Safety Association. Oxford will showcase a wide array of school supplies.
This is Pepsi’s third year with The Scene. “Each summer this event puts us in front of a captive teen audience in a unique and fun way and we look forward to another exciting season on the road,” said Pepsi’s customer marketing manager Melissa Kellogg in a statement.
Retailers in each mall field special one-day discounts and offers during each Scene stop. Another 117 GGP malls run their own, smaller versions of The Scene, with Pepsi sampling (via neighboring bottlers), radio support and collateral provided by GGP’s Chicago headquarters.
Grand Central Marketing, New York and Los Angeles, handles.
