by Matthew Jones

The commercial had all the makings of a smash hit – a hip, popular star; a large budget; an energetic hip-hop track; and a sixty-second spotlight during the Super Bowl, arguably the most visible launching pad in the television landscape.  Diet Pepsi’s latest television spot is an example of textbook execution of Marketing 101 principles – take an entertainment icon, put your product in his hand, and play up the popularity of both elements.  It’s genius in its simplicity.

The Diet Pepsi spot is one of the latest examples of marketers tapping into a well known fact - African-American culture is one of the most constant, influential, and powerful driving forces of American pop-culture.

The spot, created by DDB New York, opens with hip-hop megastar P. Diddy, frustrated and stranded by the side of the road.  Decked out in a tuxedo and late for an awards show, he hitches a ride from a passing Diet Pepsi delivery truck and rides onto the red carpet.  After his grand entrance in the Diet Pepsi truck, swarms of celebrities and common folks alike run out to buy a Diet Pepsi truck of their own.  “Yo, P. Diddy!  Check out my new ride,” they yell, as they roll down the street.  People of all ages and races are jumping on the bandwagon, so to speak.  The spot closes with a confused P. Diddy, struggling to understand this odd trend.

Although funny and ridiculous, the spot reflects the growing influence and acceptance of urban culture.  This phenomenon is propelled by the growing influence of urban-focused advertising agencies.  Even the largest and most influential marketing firms desire to partner with, own, or start their own “urban” marketing units – most of which focus on the African-American market, which is the leading originator of social trends.

“I want to be cool, just like P. Diddy,” said Eva Langoria, star of ABC’s Desperate Housewives, in supplemental footage released by PepsiCo, parent company of Diet Pepsi.  She is one of the many celebs to appear in the Diet Pepsi spot, including MTV’s Carson Daly and That 70’s Show’s Wilmer Valderrama.

The Diet Pepsi spot also features rap star Xzibit showing off his version of a tricked-out Diet Pepsi Truck.  Xzibit’s Pepsi truck has a massive trailer, complete with huge 10-foot speakers, strobe lights and a full dance club inside – even its own party crowd.  “This is how I roll,” exclaimed Xzibit.  The folks at Monster Garage must be eating their hearts out.

The marketing team for Diet Pepsi, however, did not set out to make a social statement.  They simply wanted to move product, and they picked a center figure they knew would deliver.

“(P. Diddy) is an icon and a trendsetter,” said Nicole Bradley, a spokesperson for PepsiCo.  “(In our spot), he’s setting a trend.  He was the perfect person for the spot.”

So far, the spot has delivered as promised.  While it’s too early to make projections regarding product sales, the commercial has received a great deal of attention.  Although it was launched during the Super Bowl, there is no set end date in sight.  The spot has been airing on network and cable TV; and Internet surfers can see regular and extended versions on the Diet Pepsi web site).

“(The spot) has been very well received,” continued Bradley.  “It’s popular with the media and consumers.  People find it fun. (Pepsi and Diet Pepsi are known) for using fun, lighthearted advertising to reach consumers.”

Fun is a word that has popped up in repeatedly in media coverage the spot.  While it may not be at the very top of every advertising industry magazines’ ad polls (although it’s commonly listed as one of the better ones), it has yet to be panned as a stinker, which tends to be high praise in and of itself.  More importantly, Diet Pepsi’s loyal consumers have had a lot of positive things to say about the spot.

Regardless of what you may call him – P. Diddy, Sean “Puffy” Combs, or the long-since abandoned “Puff Daddy,” – you have to call him “a winner” in the marketplace.  P. Diddy has been one of the music industry’s top performers for more than a decade.  He’s a brand unto himself, with a growing fashion line, Sean John, and a highly successful record label.  He even has some acting credits under his belt, including a role in the critically acclaimed Monster’s Ball.

A shrewd businessman with a keen eye for opportunity, you may expect to see P. Diddy involved in future efforts with Diet Pepsi.

“We definitely will be having some Diet Pepsi/Pepsi parties in 2005,” said hip-hop icon P. Diddy, in an interview conducted by PepsiCo.  “This is the beginning of a great relationship.”

An Industry-Wide Force

PepsiCo certainly isn’t the only marketer to seize upon the power of African-American culture.  In a new Anheuser-Busch spot, comedian/actor Cedric “The Entertainer” gestures to a friend across the bar that he can’t accept his offer to buy him a Bud Light because he’s a designated driver.  Partygoers see Cedric gesturing and think it’s the newest dance craze.  They begin emulating him with a ridiculous dance.  Although simple and straightforward, the Anheuser-Bush spot pays homage to the creative power and influence of African-American culture.

DaimlerChrysler has received a lot of buzz for its highly popular Chrysler 300C sedan, a vehicle designed by African-American automotive designer Ralph Gilles.  The buzz intensified even before its highly successful launch when it was reported that hip-hop superstar Snoop Dogg called the automaker to find out how he could get his hands on one.  Among a long list of other factors that have driven this car’s success in the marketplace, it helped to make it a “must have” vehicle for trendy consumers.

In an interesting side note, the stranded car at the side of the road in Diet Pepsi’s P. Diddy spot appears to be a 300C with an altered front grill.  While the car is out of view in the final spot, it appears more prominently in the extended version and in supplemental footage.

African-Americans are increasingly putting their signature on the landscape of American marketing, which is not news to anyone who regularly reads this column and publication.  What is news, however, is the growing acknowledgement among leading marketers, the world over, that African American creativity and culture can yield considerable marketing advantages.