Pepsi Max reveals a soda secret of Coca-Cola's truck-driving Santa

You may not be anywhere near the office water cooler right now, but we still want to spotlight the most talked about creative from the brands that should be on your radar. Today, we’re talking about Pepsi Max's attack on Coca-Cola's Christmas supremacy.

Just before the close of 2020, Pepsi Max bottled a mentos mint, add some extra pop to the long-lasting Cola Wars.

Market leader Coca-Cola, famous for its connection with Christmas and its role shaping the legend of modern Santa Claus, found itself under attack this week in a crafty CCTV ad from Pepsi.

Sneaky scenes from a petrol station show a Santa (complete with red mask) leave a famous red lorry and enter the shop. The holidays are coming after all...

At the soft drinks section, we see Santa deliberate, opting for a Pepsi Max over a Coke. The camera pulls in for a close-up. Santa knows he's been caught red-handed.

Such direct action may be necessary, the Grocer reports that a quarter of soda sales have been wiped out, largely due to hospitality closures in lockdown.

It's a cheeky spot perhaps inspired by the sports world where some athletes get caught using non-sponsored gear.

It also reminded me of Burger King's persistent attacks on market leader McDonald's - which splits opinions but is always worthy of discussion.