Pepsi hits back with 'Any Time' against Coca-Cola's 'Half Time' ad campaign

Industry experts believe that the revival of a cola ad war lacks the creative spark of earlier advertisements

The advertising war between PepsiCo India and Coca-Cola India, the two American-origin carbonated beverage brands, has made a comeback after Pepsi released its ‘Any Time’ campaign in response to Coca-Cola’s ‘Half Time’ campaign.

 

However, industry experts believe that the recent Coca-Cola versus Pepsi ad war — famously known as the cola ad war — lacks the same creative fizz and no longer holds the same importance for consumers as it once did.

 

Contrary to this, K V Sridhar, global chief creative officer at Nihilent, said Pepsi has done a great job of picking up on the weakest creative Coca-Cola has put out. Sridhar, along with K S Chakravarthy, was behind the iconic ‘Wah Taj’ campaign featuring the late tabla maestro Ustad Zakir Hussain.

 

Sridhar further said that ‘half time’ is a global term mostly associated with football or soccer, which doesn’t hold much relevance for the Indian audience, where cricket usually dominates. He expects more engaging ad campaigns in the carbonated beverage segment, with Coca-Cola, Thums Up (a brand under Coca-Cola), and Pepsi competing for television ad space this summer. Campa, meanwhile, will have a more prominent presence at the ground level.

 

This comes at a time when the cola market in India has become highly competitive with the return of Campa under Reliance Consumer Products. Currently, Coca-Cola holds an eight-year sponsorship with the International Cricket Council (ICC) world events, while Reliance Consumer Products’ Campa has stepped up its game by becoming a co-powered sponsor for the upcoming Indian Premier League. 

While Coca-Cola’s ‘Half Time’ campaign is a global initiative that was prominently showcased during the India-Pakistan match in the ongoing ICC Champions Trophy 2025, Pepsi’s recent tagline, ‘Anytime is Pepsi Time’, is specific to India.

 

“At PepsiCo India, consumer-centricity drives everything we do. With the launch of the ‘Anytime is Pepsi Time’ campaign, we are defining refreshment for the upcoming summer season — turning every moment, big or small, into an opportunity to enjoy an ice-cold Pepsi,” a PepsiCo India spokesperson said in a statement.

 

N Chandramouli, chief executive officer of TRA Research, said the current Pepsi-Coca-Cola ad war is less about targeting each other and more about reinforcing their market leadership, especially after the re-entry of Campa, backed by Reliance Industries.

 

According to Sandeep Goyal, chairman of advertising agency Rediffusion, colas were once the most exciting and engaging category in fast-moving consumer goods.

 

“Over the years, many more categories have grabbed consumer attention and engagement. So colas are no longer at centre stage to the same extent as they were half a century ago. Now they joust, but they don’t go for knockouts,” Goyal added.

 

Mehul Gupta, co-founder and chief executive officer of SoCheers, agreed with Goyal and said that while Pepsi’s response to Coca-Cola’s campaign is direct, it doesn’t quite capture the same creative spark that defined its most memorable ad wars.

 

“In the past, Pepsi’s competitive campaigns had a playful yet impactful approach, blending humour and cultural relevance to leave a lasting impression. While countering a rival’s campaign is a well-established strategy, the success of such efforts depends on how cleverly they’re executed. This latest response feels more like a reactive move rather than a fresh, strategically crafted message. It gets attention, but it doesn’t necessarily reignite the golden era of cola wars, where each brand’s creativity elevated the competition,” Gupta noted.

 

Industry experts claim this type of advertising aligns with Pepsi’s usual strategy. Chandramouli pointed out that this isn’t the first time Pepsi has hit back at Coca-Cola. During the 1996 ICC Cricket World Cup, Pepsi launched its ‘Nothing Official About It’ campaign, which overshadowed then-sponsor Coca-Cola.

 

He added that nowadays, there is more appreciation for camaraderie rather than direct confrontation.

 

“For example, the ad between Zomato and Shaadi.com had a sense of camaraderie. People now prefer these kinds of ads rather than aggressive rivalries. Coca-Cola versus Pepsi ads used to be fun,” said Chandramouli. 

FIZZY WAR

 

> ‘Half time’ is a global term, mostly used for football or soccer, not holding much relevance to the Indian audience

> Ad war is less about targeting each other and more about reinforcing their leadership in the market

> The success of such an effort depends on how cleverly it is executed. Latest response feels more like a reactive move rather than a fresh message