PepsiCo Inc.  (NYSE:PBG) has made a major advertising decision.  Rather than putting in the $2.5-$3 million pay check to place ads on Super Bowl, the company is launching a new online campaign.  This is the first time that Pepsi will not advertise during the Super Bowl over the last 23 years.

However Frito-Lay, a subsidiary of Pepsi will continue to place ads on the Super Bowl. Last year Pepsi spent about $33 million on advertising on Super Bowl for Pepsi, Gatorade, and Cheetos. Of that $33 million, $15 million was just on the Pepsi beverage.

“In 2010, each of our beverage brands has a strategy and marketing platform that will be less about a singular event and more about a movement,” stated Pepsi Marketing spokeswoman Nicole Bradley.

Moutain Dew will not be branding with Halo this year, instead they have chosen World of Warcraft.  Mountain’s new line of World of Warcraft branded drinks will be called Game Fuel.  The drinks will be avilable in Horde Red and Alliance Blue.

On one bottle there is a Gnome Warrior and the other has an Orc Shaman.  These drinks will be hitting the shelves this summer.

Once you are done with the bottles and recycle it, who knows… Maybe they will be part of your own suit.

[via Kotaku]

Background
PepsiCo, Inc. announced today that they haved started a social network.  The social network is powered by Youniverse.com.  The social network will have global sports figures endorse the food and beverage company.  As of right now, the social network will first be launched around Europe in different stages.

Currently the web site features soccer (aka football in other countries) stars such as David Beckham, Thierry Henry, and Cesc Fabregas.  The URL for the site is: pepsiyouniverse.com.  The site will have music and a theme revolving around “hopes and dreams.”

Opinion
Soccer is huge in Europe. Therefore, PepsiCo’s plan to launch in the Europe using soccer endorsements seems like the right move.  However, I believe that their overall features of the site seem pretty cheesy.  Users are asked a range of questions when looking at the site such as “If I had a footballer’s salary I’d spend it on…” and “Happiness to me is…”  Below are images related to the question. For example, there is a picture of a Ferrari, a home with a pool, and a private island under the question, “If I had a footballer’s salary I’d spend it on…” 

As users select the thumbnails representing their answer, they are matched to their soccer (football) type.  The football type match is powered by Youniverse’s VisualDNA algorithms.  These algorithms don’t seem too much different from the widgets that tell you what type of Family Guy, Simpsons, Entourage, etc. character that you are most like.

It’s tough to predict how much traction this site will receive because I have not researched the European social network market enough.  All I know is that Bebo is the dominating player in that market.  Hence AOL’s desire to buy Bebo for $850 million last week.