“I am quite confident that we have gotten to the best possible way to put your Pepsi on a hot dog,” Danzi said. “Second only to dunking the dog in the Pepsi.”
Dog days of summer
With more than 150 million of them consumed on July 4 alone, per to the National Hot Dog and Sausage Council, hot dogs have cemented their place as the summer staple at backyard gatherings and stadiums. They’re also the main attraction at the annual Nathan’s Famous Hot Dog Eating Contest in Coney Island, New York, where renown competitive eater, Joey Chestnut, will spend the holiday weekend defending his title as the 15-time hot dog-eating champion.
Chestnut, who Danzi calls “the most famous expert on hot dogs,” has also partnered with Pepsi for the promotion.
“I am a huge Joey Chestnut fan,” says Danzi. “He knows all about hot dogs and I think that brings a really fun angle leading into July 4th weekend.”
“I’m thrilled to be partnering with Pepsi to show America that hot dogs go better with Pepsi,” said Chestnut in a statement. “People might be surprised, but outside of competition, I love eating hot dogs at a more leisurely pace, and there’s no better way to eat a hot dog.”
Danzi tells Adweek that in the coming months the brand will add more food options to the campaign, and teased that projects are in the works in celebration of Pepsi’s 125th anniversary.
“We love food. We love anything you can enjoy unapologetically, and we think this celebration of how Pepsi pairs with food and brings out the notes that make them so delicious is fun and does a lot for us,” Danzi said. “So, we will continue to do more celebrations going forward.”