Pepsi Takes a Shot at Coca-Cola’s Polar Bears

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For Super Bowl 2026, Pepsi flips one of advertising’s most iconic symbols on its head. In “The Choice,” a polar bear, the long-standing mascot of Coca-Cola, is subjected to a blind taste test… and ends up choosing Pepsi Zero Sugar.

Directed by Taika Waititi, the spot turns that single decision into an absurd existential crisis, reviving the legacy of the Pepsi Challenge with humor, confidence, and just enough provocation. By placing Zero Sugar on the biggest advertising stage in the world, Pepsi makes a simple point: when logos disappear, taste can still change everything.

The choice of a polar bear is anything but accidental. As one of Coca-Cola’s most deeply rooted brand icons, the bear embodies decades of emotional advertising equity. By placing it in a blind test, Pepsi deliberately cracks open a cultural myth, not aggressively, but playfully.

The move directly echoes the original Pepsi Challenge launched in 1975, updating it for a new era where sugar-free sodas dominate consumer growth. Once again, Pepsi leans into its challenger DNA, daring to confront its rival on the most sensitive battleground of all: taste.

A 30-second existential crisis

What could have been a straightforward product demo quickly becomes something stranger and more memorable. Backed by I Want to Break Free by Queen, the polar bear spirals into a full-blown identity crisis, eventually seeking therapy, with Taika Waititi himself appearing as the therapist.

The absurdity is intentional. Rather than proving a point with data or claims, Pepsi turns a functional benefit into a cultural moment. The result is a spot that’s easy to understand, instantly shareable, and hard to forget.

Behind the humor, the strategy is crystal clear. Pepsi uses the Super Bowl to cement Pepsi Zero Sugar as a flagship product at a time when sugar-free sodas are surging. In 2025 alone, the brand reportedly saw over 30% growth and attracted more than one million new households. By anchoring the message to a blind taste test, Pepsi reframes Zero Sugar as a statement, not a compromise. Strip away branding and bias, and the taste speaks for itself.

The Choice is just the opening act. The campaign extends far beyond the broadcast with social activations, creator partnerships, tasting kits, and real-world appearances of polar bears in multiple cities, all designed to invite consumers to “take the test” themselves.