PURCHASE, N.Y., July 14, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- PepsiCo will hit another grand slam at this year's 85^th Major League Baseball All-Star Game at Target Field to celebrate with players and fans in the Minneapolis region. PepsiCo, a more than 15-year partner of MLB, is the exclusive non-alcoholic beverage, sports fuel and salty snacks sponsor of the league.

"All-Star Week is a huge event for many of our brands and we are excited to join MLB to make this year even bigger and better," said Justin Toman, Director, Sports Marketing, PepsiCo. "The PepsiCo family of powerhouse brands will activate in a variety of ways—from hydrating athletes in the dugout with Gatorade to bringing a once-in-a-lifetime Pepsi 'Real. Big. Summer.' viewing experience to fans to sampling our popular Lay's Potato Chips. PepsiCo will be on hand to serve athletes and fans alike during the game."

"PepsiCo has been a tremendous supporter of Major League Baseball for nearly two decades, and we're thrilled to see them activate so heavily around MLB All-Star Week," said Chris Marciani, Vice President, National Sales & Sponsorship, Major League Baseball. "We are particularly excited to see Pepsi take a leadership role in the new MLB All-Star Summer Pepsi Block Party, which promises to create a festive atmosphere for fans on their way into Target Field this week."

A variety of PepsiCo's food and beverage brands are activating around the MLB All-Star Game:

• Pepsi brought the sights and sounds of the ballpark to Mall of America on July 12 with fan festival giveaways, sampling and a live performance from music artists Us the Duo.
• The first-ever MLB All-Star Summer Pepsi Block Party, July 13-15, features celebrity chefs and food tastings from the PepsiCo kitchen. The event is free to attend and open to all fans.
• Pepsi's "Real. Big. Summer." program will make a stop at Target Field where four lucky fans will watch the MLB All-Star Game complete with a VIP experience in first-of-its-kind "Big Blue Seats."
• As part of Pepsi's "Real. Big. Games." the brand will debut a national 60-second ad capturing a local hardball team in Milwaukee surprised with the experience of a lifetime – playing a game on the field at Miller Park, home of the Milwaukee Brewers.
• Along with sponsorship of the Gatorade All-Star Workout Day again this year, Gatorade will have exclusive product placement in the dugouts, during batting practice and in the bullpens.
• Lay's Potato Chips and Cracker Jack will be present in stadium at Target Field during all of the week's events—from the Taco Bell All-Star Legends and Celebrity Softball Game to the Gillette Home Run Derby—and the Lay's brand will be sampling during the T-Mobile All-Star Fan Fest.

In addition to exclusive rights within the non-alcoholic beverage, sports fuel and salty snack categories, PepsiCo brands currently sponsor more than half of the MLB teams and have over a dozen MLB athletes on its roster.

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 $66 billion in net revenue in 2013, 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 in 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 and www.pepsicobeveragefacts.com.

SOURCE PepsiCo