The Pepsi SweeTest- The World's First Sweetest Algorithm

Pepsi faced a critical challenge: losing relevance with Gen Z, an invaluable cohort. With our salience lagging behind competitors, we needed to prove that our new Pepsi MAX flavours could satisfy their craving for comforting ‘little treats’. Traditional marketing claims wouldn't cut through their innate scepticism.

To launch our new Pepsi MAX flavours, we couldn't just tell them the drinks were satisfyingly sweet - we had to prove it in a way that resonated with their desire for radical gentleness and tech-native playfulness.

Sips & Bites led the ideation and development of The Pepsi SweeTest: a playful creative system that gave anything in the world a universal “Sweetness Score.” A bespoke AI-powered scoring system enabled us to compare Pepsi MAX Treats with unexpected cultural references, from a cute puppy to a text from Grandma.

This breakthrough idea powered a highly original suite of creative outputs, including dynamic contextual media that matched "sweet" cultural moments with our ads in real-time, and the immersive "Sweet Room" experiential pop-up. The creative excellence of the SweeTest delivered spectacular commercial success, driving £11.6M in incremental sales, a 141x Gen Z appeal index, and the highest Pepsi household penetration in five years (5.7%). Sips & Bites proved that in-house creative bravery can completely redefine how a brand communicates its core product benefits.