Pepsi can use “the polar bear” as a bold, story‑driven way to hijack Coke’s brand memory while selling Pepsi Zero Sugar as the smarter, modern choice— as long as it leans into parody, identity crisis, and taste, not imitation.

How can Pepsi use the polar bear?

1. Ground reality: what’s already happening

  • Pepsi has already run a Super Bowl spot where a Coke‑style polar bear picks Pepsi Zero Sugar in a blind taste test, then spirals into a therapy‑style existential crisis about “switching sides.”
  • The creative frame: use Coke’s most distinctive asset (the bear) inside Pepsi’s own classic “taste challenge” asset, turning it into a high‑drama moment about preference vs. habit.
  • Strategically, this positions Pepsi as the confident challenger brand: “we’re so sure of our taste that even their bear prefers us.”

This isn’t just a visual gag; it’s psychological judo: Coke’s decades of brand equity become the setup for Pepsi’s punchline.

2. Strategic ways Pepsi should use the polar bear

A. Lean into “identity crisis” storytelling

Pepsi’s smartest move is to keep using the bear as a character in a long‑running storyline about loyalty, doubt, and switching.

  • Episodic ads:
    1. Session 1 – The bear learns he chose Pepsi in a blind test and feels guilty.
    2. Session 2 – He realizes he’s been drinking one brand out of habit, not taste.
    3. Session 3 – He “breaks free” and openly drinks Pepsi Zero Sugar in public.
  • Core theme: “It’s okay to change your mind”—you’re not betraying your past; you’re choosing what you actually prefer now.

This respects how real humans feel about brands they grew up with: attached, nostalgic, yet sometimes ready to move on.

B. Make “taste vs. habit” the hero

The polar bear works best as a dramatized proof of the Pepsi Challenge, not as a random mascot swap.

  • Use him in:
    • Blind taste‑test ads where he reluctantly admits Pepsi Zero Sugar tastes better.
    • Social content where ordinary fans “recreate” the bear’s taste test at home.
  • Message spine:
    • “You think you know what you like. Try it without labels.”
    • “If even he was wrong, you can be too.”

This reinforces Pepsi’s core equity—winning taste tests—even as Coke keeps a larger share and deeper emotional history.

C. Play up “breaking free” as a cultural metaphor

In the current campaign, pairing the bear’s breakdown with Queen’s “I Want to Break Free” turns a cola choice into a metaphor for personal liberation.

Pepsi can extend that by:

  • Connecting the bear to modern “break free” moments:
    • Switching careers, cities, or lifestyles;
    • Cutting down sugar (hence Zero Sugar);
    • Dropping old routines that don’t fit you anymore.
  • Letting the bear appear in non‑Super Bowl content (shorts, Reels, TikToks) where he awkwardly tries new things: yoga, therapy, plant‑based snacks… and Pepsi Zero Sugar.

This keeps the bear emotionally resonant and meme‑able instead of just being an in‑joke about cola wars.

3. Creative formats Pepsi can use

Mini‑series & universe building

  • “Bear in Therapy” series: Follow‑up spots where the bear slowly accepts his new taste preference and social circle teases him about it.
  • “Support Group for Switchers”: The bear sits with humans who also “switched,” making the act of changing brands feel normal and funny.
  • Brand universe crossovers: The bear meets Pepsiman in fan discussions and parodies, which already exist online as a cultural mash‑up.

This serial storytelling keeps conversation and earned media going far beyond a single Super Bowl burst.

Social & forum‑style engagement

Because the polar bear move has already triggered big debates among marketers and fans, Pepsi can:

  • Prompt UGC:
    • “Draw/animate the bear in his next therapy session.”
    • “What did the bear say to his old boss?”
  • Join the meta‑conversation: repost or respond to fan parodies, including Coke‑leaning ones, to show confidence and humor.

This fits the “challenger brand” playbook: entertain more, earn more media, and make the leader look slow or overly serious.

4. Risks and how Pepsi should manage them

Risk 1: Strengthening Coke’s asset

Data shared in industry commentary suggests that when people see a polar bear, a large portion still instantly think “Coke,” even within Pepsi’s ad.

To manage that:

  • Pepsi must over‑brand the creative: strong Pepsi visual identity in the first seconds, prominent product shots, consistent Pepsi Challenge cues.
  • The story must depend on Pepsi—if you remove Pepsi, the narrative shouldn’t make sense.

Risk 2: Legal and IP constraints

Pepsi cannot literally use Coca‑Cola’s owned character, but they can use a generic polar bear rendered in a different style and clearly framed as parody/satire.

  • Distinct art direction (proportions, colors, animation style) protects against direct copying.
  • Satirical framing (therapy, crisis, comedy) supports fair‑use arguments in some jurisdictions, especially when transforming meaning rather than simply re‑using a mascot.

Risk 3: Over‑complex narrative

Some analysts note that the ad’s cleverness relies on viewers actually following the full story, which many won’t during a noisy Super Bowl party.

Pepsi should therefore:

  • Keep a simple read: even on mute, viewers should see “bear + taste test + Pepsi wins.”
  • Use longer explainer/extended cuts online for deeper narrative beats and commentary.

5. Multi‑viewpoint take on the strategy

Why marketers love it

  • It’s audacious, distinctive, and taps into decades of Coke equity in one shot.
  • System‑based ad testing shows high amusement and strong branding for Pepsi, suggesting memorability and clear brand linkage.
  • It perfectly fits Pepsi’s challenger narrative: loud, entertaining, and unafraid to poke the category leader.

Why some experts are wary

  • They argue that any use of the polar bear reinforces Coke’s distinctive asset more than Pepsi’s, especially for half‑attentive viewers.
  • They worry about “mental competition”: audiences may decode “Coke” first and never update to “Pepsi Zero Sugar tastes better.”

Why it works right now

  • The ad has generated extensive earned media, online debates, and think‑pieces that likely outweigh the paid media in sheer visibility.
  • In 2026’s social‑media‑driven environment, being talked about—memed, parodied, argued over—can be a bigger win than “clean” attribution alone.

6. Practical playbook: “How can Pepsi use the polar bear?”

Here’s a concise usage playbook:

  1. Use the bear as a switching symbol , not a replacement mascot.
  2. Tie every appearance to blind taste, preference, and “breaking free from habit.”
  1. Keep the design clearly Pepsi‑world (art style, colors, framing) to avoid pure Coke associations.
  1. Build a continuing character arc (therapy, support groups, “coming out” as a Pepsi drinker) to sustain conversation.
  1. Encourage fan reactions, parodies, and discussions to amplify the cola‑war narrative instead of trying to control it.

TL;DR bottom

Pepsi can use the polar bear as a borrowed memory shortcut to dramatize “you think you’re Coke, but your taste might actually be Pepsi Zero Sugar,” turning Coke’s most beloved icon into a vehicle for Pepsi’s challenger story—so long as they keep it clearly branded, clearly parodic, and focused on taste and personal liberation rather than just copying a mascot.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.