Pepsi to take consumers to Youngistaan

After Hindustan, Afghanistan and Pakistan, it’s now time for Youngistaan. In a new star-studded campaign for Pepsi, JWT has made yet another attempt to capture the attention of young minds by creating ‘Youngistaan’.

According to Soumitra Karnik, vice-president and executive creative director, JWT, Youngistaan is not so much a place as it is a state of mind of today’s youth. “While the term is new, what it stands for – the GenNext attitude – is not new,” asserts Karnik.

“As Pepsi is an irreverent, youth brand, we thought of coining a term that encapsulates its young TG and brands this generation,” he explains.

The ad, which has just broken on television, will feature long-time brand ambassador Shah Rukh Khan along with the two hot stars of the moment, Ranbir Kapoor and Deepika Padukone. The ad has Kapoor and Padukone essaying the roles of young lovers. The setting is late night, and Kapoor is dropping Padukone off at her home. Typically, Kapoor wants to enter her room. He uses the excuse of wanting to drink the Pepsi which is in her room. Padukone promptly replies that her ‘bodyguard’ elder brother is at home, and bids him farewell.

Undeterred, the young lover tries to climb up to her balcony using the support of a dish antenna, but falls down. Hearing the noise, Padukone’s elder brother, Shah Rukh Khan, walks out and demands to know where Kapoor is from. Kapoor spots a broken neon sign nearby, which reads ‘Young Hindustan Supermarket’, but only some alphabets are visible. He creates a new word out of the visible alphabets, Youngistaan. He then pretends to be a robotic figure from another land, and says he is there to safeguard Khan’s sister.

Overjoyed, Khan allows Kapoor entry into his house and to Padukone’s room, where the couple enjoy their privacy and the Pepsi, while the super comes on, ‘Yeh Hai Youngistaan Meri Jaan’. Cut to a shot of SRK holding the broken dish antenna in his hand, wondering why the television isn’t coming on. Putting two and two together, he calls out angrily to his sister.

This script was selected after trashing some 20-30 scripts, reveals Karnik. To add to the entertainment, Padukone’s name in the ad is Shanti, as it was in her debut film, Om Shanti Om.

“We wanted Ranbir to discover the concept of Youngistaan accidentally – the idea was to show how the young generation improvises really fast in the face of trouble,” says Karnik. The ad has been directed by Abhinay Deo of Ramesh Deo Productions.

Punita Lal, executive director, marketing, PepsiCo India, says, “The Youngistaan idea captures the energy, excitement and irreverence of the young, confident India.”

Hari Krishnan, vice-president, JWT, adds, “Youngistaan is a feeling that is racing through every youthful nerve in the country today. Brand Pepsi will simply tap this energy and help the youth express this emotion.”

The ad is being supported by radio, outdoor, web and wireless media. The campaign will encourage contests, inviting youngsters to talk of what Youngistaan means to them. They may even be invited to create ads themselves on the Youngistaan concept.