The Pepsi Refresh Project has been a very successful initiate for the consumer brand, as it helps to fund ideas that “refresh” Canada and lead to positive change. The project will provide over $1 million in Canadian grants over six cycles to fund 60 innovative ideas throughout the year. At each cycle, CTV is promoting the Project with televised commercials created to celebrate grant recipients. The commercials mobilize the strength of CTV’s targeted properties, including MuchMusic, MTV, The Comedy Network, SPACE, and CTV, to maximize awareness. Two thirty-second commercials featuring two of the 10 inaugural grant winners from Cycle 1 have been produced and began airing on these properties November 13.CTV and the Pepsi team have travelled to the hometowns of two Cycle 1 grant winners to learn more about their ideas and create a thirty-second commercial featuring each winner. The first commercial features Montreal’s Youth Music Movement, who were granted $25,000 to create a mobile recording studio to professionally record young artists’ music for free. The second commercial features 12-year-old Wesley Prankard, the applicant’s son, and his mother Sherri Prankard. His mom’s “Help Wesley Build A Playground” initiative was granted $25,000 to help with the goal of building a playground in Attawapiskat, Ontario, a First Nations reserve located along James Bay.
“Ideas for the Pepsi Refresh Project are really diverse and innovative. They come from Canadians from all walks of life,” says Dale Hooper, Vice-President, Marketing, PepsiCo Beverages Canada. “I think CTV’s audience will find the individual stories of the top-voted ideas very compelling to follow, and we’re happy to be partnering with CTV to be able to tell those unique stories.”
“It’s been a great opportunity to participate in the story-telling of the Pepsi Refresh Project grant winners,” said Mary Kreuk, Vice-President, Marketing, CTV Inc. “Pepsi has launched an amazing initiative that contributes to greater change in our communities, and we want to encourage other Canadians to participate by submitting or supporting an idea they are passionate about.”
The Pepsi Refresh Project (www.refresheverything.ca; www.icicestmieux.com) will award over $1 million in grants.