The Ultimate 'Halo 3' Accessory: Mountain Dew

"We literally played ['Halo 2'] for three days straight without sleeping," said 21-year-old Russ Petrick of Woodland Park, Colo., who stayed awake by chugging Mountain Dew. "It has 54 milligrams of caffeine. You drink enough of that, it will keep you up."




That's what the Pepsi-Cola North America brand is counting on as it readies a red-hued, citrus-cherry-flavored, limited-edition Mountain Dew that will carry the name of the much-anticipated "Halo 3" for Microsoft's Xbox 360. Touted as the first soft drink created for and co-branded with a video game, the new Dew is positioned as "game fuel."

Microsoft and Bungie will release three editions of "Halo 3" for Xbox 360 this fall. Combined sales of "Halo" and "Halo 2" exceeded 10.5 million, and "Halo 3" is expected to sell between 2.75 million and 3 million units in its first two months.

Pepsi didn't offer many details either. "Gaming is an important component in the marketing efforts for Mountain Dew," a spokeswoman said. "Our goal is to go beyond traditional advertising by creating initiatives that make the brand an integral part of the gaming experience. We have some exciting programs coming this summer."

But according to one bottler, Pepsi expects the product to be "huge." "The college age is a big market for us," he said. The "Halo 3" Dew is expected to be released in August for about three months.

The 'Halo 3' Mountain Dew is expected to be released in August to coincide with the launch of the game on Xbox 360. It will also advertise as "limited edition" and "game fuel".



I believe Pepsi Co. North American brand is on the right track for aiming towards the college-aged market, something Coca-Cola is lacking of. Pepsi has been able to beat their Coca-Cola compeition for the younger generations, and they only continue to do so. This will be a good idea for Pepsi in regards to the recent sales of Halo 1 and Halo 2, as well as the expected sales of Halo 3. This will not only raise sales for Pepsi for that time period, but it will also gain recognition from the younger generation. Their next step should be health awareness!

Patrycja Targonski

Article from Advertising Age