Where are we going? The future. Well, 1985’s future, as predicted in 1989. And technically, it’s not the future anymore; it’s the present (and soon, the past). You see, in the movie series Back to the Future, today, October 21, 2015, is the day that Marty McFly and Doc Brown travel to the future. It has become an unofficial holiday known as Back to the Future Day.
The movie gave us great predictions for the future, many of which came true. We now communicate via video screens, the Cubs might win the World Series, there really is a Miami baseball team, and we actually have hover boards. The move also gave us some of the great product placements of our time, which are still paying dividends to those brands nearly 30 years later.
Pepsi made an appearance in the movie as “Pepsi Perfect,” a nutritionally healthy soda packed with vitamins. And wouldn’t you know, Pepsi is releasing 6,500 limited edition bottles at $20.15 each. [Video Link]
Or who could forget Marty McFly’s futuristic Nike high tops, complete with Power Laces. Yes, finally, no more need to waste your time tying your shoes. [Video Link]
Nike previously released a version of Marty McFly’s Mag sneakers from the movie back in 2011. But those shoes didn’t have Power Laces. The company has stated publicly that it hopes to release the shoes, with Power Laces, yet this year.
However, still no word on whether the Black and Decker Hydrator will be released any time soon. Even if it does, it will probably take science a while to figure out how to rehydrate a Pizza Hut deep dish.
But for Pepsi and Nike, today is an incredible opportunity. Tens of thousands of people will be discussing Back to the Future. Inevitably, many of these conversations will include discussions of the Nike or Pepsi brand. These conversations will be organic, positive, and will result from genuine interest and happiness related to a shared interest in the Back to the Future trilogy. Not only does this affect brand awareness among younger generations, it builds loyalty through positive association.
I’m not sure how you measure that kind of positive association, but I’m guessing it’s about 1.21 gigawatts.