Dive Brief:
- PepsiCo’s Mug Root Beer brand is targeting Gen Z holiday shoppers with a limited-edition cologne launching on social media, per information shared by the company.
- Daddy’s Home by Mug Root Beer cologne is being unveiled on social media today, Dec. 3, and will be available the week of Dec. 8 as part of a $15 bundle that includes a 10-pack of mini cans and can only be purchased on TikTok Shop.
- To support the launch, the brand has released a social video that spoofs mainstream cologne ads via slow-motion shots, serious gazes and “over-the-top symbolism,” according to press details. Rounding out the effort will be a TikTok Live hosted by the brand and content from influencers Afferdin and Elijah Yeroushalmi.
Dive Insight:
Mug’s campaign is the latest example of how Gen Z is influencing holiday marketing strategies, with a big focus on social media and influencers. Mug is also capitalizing on Gen Z’s obsession with scent. In fact, 38% of household fragrance purchases are driven by Gen Z, per Circana data cited in press materials. Daddy’s Home by Mug Root Beer cologne has notes of cedar, sandalwood and – in a nod to the soft drink’s flavor – vanilla and caramel.
The root beer brand is a quickly growing part of PepsiCo's portfolio thanks to how it has leaned into social activations around its bulldog mascot, according to executives from the CPG giant and VaynerMedia, its social media partner, during an Advertising Week presentation this fall. The execs reported that sales are on the rise, with Mug the fastest growing brand in the root beer category, which they attributed in part to the brand’s social content.
The holiday effort’s focus on TikTok Shop comes as the platform has been offering a host of incentives, such as covering delivery costs and cash rewards, to get retailers and marketers to set up shop, per Social Media Today. TikTok is looking to replicate the success it has seen as an e-commerce platform in the local version of its app in China. The efforts seem to be working as TikTok Shop’s sales increased dramatically in Q3, and blue-chip companies such as Samsung US, Ralph Lauren and the Disney Store signed on in advance of this holiday season.
Mug’s holiday push showcases another Gen Z trend – pet ownership – by featuring dogs, including the brand’s bulldog mascot, in social media content. The brand is also creating 200 special edition fragrance bottles that include the bulldog mascot on the cap.
