The campaign marks the first time that the brand has shifted from the traditional trademark Dr Pepper labeling. Backed by a digital, social, radio, and in-store campaign, Dr Pepper Pick Your Pepper is meant to emphasize individuality, encouraging consumers to choose the label that speaks uniquely to them.
The Pick Your Pepper custom label bottles will be available in stores this summer.
Digital printing encourages hyper customization
The company is leveraging digital technology in which text, graphics and images can be changed from one printed piece to the next in mass quantity, every case delivered by bottlers to retailers will be unique, Dr Pepper said.
Speaking at PACE Americas 2016 last week, HP World Wide Brands Business Development Manager Doris Brown-McNally talked about the larger role digital technology can play in hyper customization of beverage products and its role in consumer experience.
Brown-McNally pointed to the success of the Diet Coke and Bud Light campaigns where both companies were able to print out millions of unique labels.
She said that the beverage industry in particular will continue to see a trend towards hyper customization of packaging.
Tapping into millennials’ need for self-expression
Dr Pepper Pick Your Pepper is supported with social, digital and traditional media programs.
"The Pick Your Pepper labels and campaign allows us to further tap into millennials' passion for nostalgia and self-expression," said Derek Dabrowski, senior director of marketing for Dr Pepper.
The label designs are inspired by various millennial “passion point” categories such as 90s Retro Fan, Cat Lover, Vinyl Collector, Fashionista, Gamer and others.
Dr Pepper encourages consumers to explore the Hall of Labels and DIY their own #pickyourpepper GIF on the campaign’s website.
The online “Pick Your Pepper” experience gives consumers customization through exploration empowering them to use the label artwork to create and share 4,000 possible GIF combinations.
Dr Pepper has also partnered with mobile dating app Tinder, leveraging its new Tinder Polls feature, an influencer program that will tap into popular digital influencers and digital video vignettes.