Pepsi Max shocks viewers with bus stop advertisement

Great advertisements make you look twice at them. The best, however, leave you in awe of what you just witnessed.

This is the tactic that Pepsi has adopted in promoting Pepsi Max, its low-calorie, sugar-free soft drink offering that is billed as an alternative to both regular Pepsi and Diet Pepsi.

As the name suggests, anything related to Pepsi Max needs to be taken to the max. Which is why, according to a recent article on Marketing Magazine, the company installed a special bus shelter on New Oxford Street in London. The shelter looked perfectly normal, but it actually contained special advertisements for the soft drink.

In addition to signs for Pepsi Max, the bus shelter also contained a digital screen. Thanks to a camera mounted on the top of the station, this screen was able to display an image of the world directly outside of the shelter. To those sitting inside, it appeared to be a simple glass wall.

But it wasn't. As demonstrated by a video posted on Marketing Magazine, those who sat in the bus shelter saw what appeared to be supernatural activity just outside. In one example, the display showed UFOs attacking the street. In another, a strange tentacle leapt out from the sewer and grabbed an unsuspecting passerby.

Of course, the viewers quickly realized that what they were seeing was fake, and many went outside to see the camera—and the Pepsi Max add.

You don't necessarily need to resort to these kind of tricks to create a strong brand, though. All you need is a custom print display provider like Pressure Sensitive Products to help your business create compelling advertisements.