PURCHASE, N.Y., April 21, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- With all of America entrenched in the 2016 presidential election, the time is ripe to make a DEWcision. So MTN DEW® is asking you, the loyal members of DEW Nation: which of two legendary flavors – MTN DEW® BAJA BLAST™ or MTN DEW PITCH BLACK™ – will earn its rightful place in the DEW retail lineup at the end of DEWcision? And we're giving you a chance to make your voices heard with a vote that only DEW can make happen.

As you know, MTN DEW BAJA BLAST and MTN DEW PITCH BLACK are two specialty flavors that have developed cult followings of true DEW aficionados. Every year DEW receives a tidal wave of requests from our passionate fans to bring these two favorite flavors back permanently.  Together, these flavors have generated over 1.5 million mentions on Twitter over the past 5 years, with many fans pitting MTN DEW BAJA BLAST and MTN DEW PITCH BLACK against each other for which DEW flavor to bring back.

"DEW Nation, you never cease to amaze me with your passion for these two brands. From bathing in BAJA BLAST to road tripping to stock up on PITCH BLACK, we think we've seen it all…until now," said Greg Lyons, senior vice president of marketing, Mountain Dew. "This summer, we're challenging you to show us how far you would go for your favorite flavor."

How to Vote in DEWcision 2016
Now through July 9, fans will be able to vote for their favorite flavor on DEWcision.com or Twitter by including one of the following hashtags in their tweets: #VoteBajaBlast or #VotePitchBlack. Every hashtag will count as one vote. Super delegates—or, fans—can complete additional challenges to rally for their favorite flavor. These challenges will be released every third week on the @MountainDew social channels, and count as multiplier votes. The flavor with the most votes at the end of the program wins a spot in the DEW retail lineup after summer is over.

Racing Stars Campaign for Votes
A television commercial featuring the DEW racing team— Kasey Kahne, Chase Elliott and Dale Earnhardt Jr. — is helping "drive" the campaign. The commercial features the three NASCAR superstars and Hendrick Motorsports teammates up to some electoral hijinks in their off-time. Kasey, representing team PITCH BLACK, and Chase, leading team BAJA BLAST, try to sway the vote of Dale Jr., who remains a neutral party, for their favorite flavor by completing the ultimate to-do list in his stead—from mowing his lawn to painting his fence. The commercial will air nationally on FOX during the April 24 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race in Richmond, Virginia, where Kasey, Chase and Dale Jr. will kick off the campaign by racing three unique DEWcision paint schemes.

About the Candidates
MTN DEW BAJA BLAST, a delicious blend of MTN DEW and tropical lime flavors, has been the fan-favorite DEW flavor at Taco Bell since 2004. It is the No.2 beverage requested and one of the best performing fountain drinks at Taco Bell. MTN DEW BAJA BLAST'S staunch competitor is MTN DEW PITCH BLACK, the bold flavor of DEW with a twist of citrus and dark fruit flavor, which was first released in October 2004 as a limited-edition Halloween flavor. It was resurrected in the summer of 2011 as part of the "Back by Popular DEWmand" program and, earlier this year, became exclusively available via fountain at Speedway stores nationwide for a limited time.

About Mountain Dew 
Mountain Dew, a product of PepsiCo Americas Beverages, is the No. 1 flavored carbonated soft drink in the U.S. With its one-of-a-kind citrus taste, Mountain Dew exhilarates and quenches with every sip. In addition to original Mountain Dew® and Diet Mountain Dew®, the permanent DEW product line includes Mountain Dew Code Red®, Mountain Dew LiveWire®, Mountain Dew Throwback®, Mountain Dew Voltage® and Mountain Dew White Out®. For more information, check out www.mountaindew.com, www.facebook.com/mountaindew or follow on Twitter @mountaindew.

About PepsiCo
PepsiCo products are enjoyed by consumers one billion times a day in more than 200 countries and territories around the world. PepsiCo generated more than $63 billion in net revenue in 2015, driven by a complementary food and beverage portfolio that includes Frito-Lay, Gatorade, Pepsi-Cola, Quaker and Tropicana. PepsiCo's product portfolio includes a wide range of enjoyable foods and beverages, including 22 brands that generate more than $1 billion each in estimated annual retail sales.

At the heart of PepsiCo is Performance with Purpose – our goal to deliver top-tier financial performance while creating sustainable growth and shareholder value. In practice, Performance with Purpose means providing a wide range of foods and beverages from treats to healthy eats; finding innovative ways to minimize our impact on the environment and reduce our operating costs; providing a safe and inclusive workplace for our employees globally; and respecting, supporting and investing in the local communities where we operate. For more information, visit www.pepsico.com.  

Media Contacts:

Kristen Mueller, PepsiCo
Kristen.mueller@pepsico.com  
(914) 767-7450

Katie Zeidman, Golin
KZeidman@golin.com  
(312) 729-4069

Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160421/358278

Video - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kztTsdnHaBc

SOURCE Mountain Dew