PURCHASE, N.Y., March 31, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, Pepsi and Aquafina unveiled their plans for the 2017 baseball season, centered around home openers in Chicago and New York, along with nine other teams throughout the year. The announcement reflects PepsiCo's longstanding commitment to baseball as it continues to reach new heights with franchised team sponsorships. PepsiCo will manifest the partnership through its Pepsi and Aquafina beverages to treat fans across the country to memorable and unique experiences during the season.
"Opening Day is an exciting time of year as we prepare to launch a season full of activations for baseball fans," said Melissa Duhaime, Senior Manager, Sports Marketing, PepsiCo. "We are thrilled to continue our multi-franchise relationships, and to activate our strong portfolio of brands in a way only PepsiCo can deliver by offering beverage choices for a variety of lifestyles and occasions."
The partnership will officially kick-off with consumer events for the New York Yankees, sponsored by Pepsi, and Chicago Cubs, sponsored by Pepsi and Aquafina, during the teams' home openers on April 10. As part of the campaign, Pepsi will launch team-branded Pepsi cans across 11 baseball teams beginning this week. In addition, limited-edition Aquafina bottles will hit shelves this week for Cubs fans, featuring the Cubs World Champions logo to keep fans hydrated with pure water and perfect taste all season long.
Additional Opening Day events include:
New York Yankees:
- Pepsi will host an opening day pre-game party outside of Yankee Stadium, with appearances from former Yankee greats and a live mural creation by famed Bronx artist Andre Trenier.
- A post-game party featuring Fat Joe at Kola House, PepsiCo's restaurant venue in New York City, with dinner and a live music performance produced by iHeartMedia.
- "Caps Off to the Yankees"- a joint program among Pepsi, Yankees Catcher Gary Sanchez, New Era and artist Andre Trenier for fans to vote on their favorite Trenier-designed Yankees cap to be featured on a limited-edition series of New Era hats.
Chicago Cubs:
- Pepsi will host a pre-game concert at Old Crow in Wrigleyville with country music artist Brett Eldridge.
- Aquafina will invite fans to a first-of-its-kind activation as part of the grand opening of The Park at Wrigley, which will include:
- An interactive, life-size hologram of Chicago Cubs player Addison Russell that fans can play baseball with and share their experience on social media.
- Opportunity for fans to show off their commemorative Aquafina water- and Cubs World Champions-branded bottles provided by Aquafina street teams.
PepsiCo will extend its multi-franchise partnership to different cities and states throughout the season including Detroit, Kansas City, Mo., Cleveland, Miami and Arizona, with specific fan events for each market.
Follow the Pepsi sports conversation at Pepsi.com and Twitter.com/Pepsi and view the Aquafina hologram at Facebook.com/Aquafina.
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 approximately $63 billion in net revenue in 2016, 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 fundamental belief that the success of our company is inextricably linked to the sustainability of the world around. We believe that continuously improving the products we sell, operating responsibly to protect our planet and empowering people around the world is what enables PepsiCo to run a successful global company that creates long-term value for society and our shareholders. For more information, visit www.pepsico.com.
SOURCE PepsiCo