Zakir khan and Pepsi ignited ‘Rise Up’ from friendzone campaign

In front of Friendship Day, the brand PEPSI plans to have a celebration of the week of friendship. In keeping with its mission to be the voice of the generation, Pepsi has launched an intriguing partnership with legendary stand-up comedian Zakir Khan. The clever partnership between Pepsi and Zakir aims to motivate friends to support their friends and urge them to "Rise up" from their friend-zone predicament.

In the campaign, Zakir Khan encourages the youth to be true friends to one another, to inspire friends to move on, and to guide friends away from the terrible 'friendzone' - a zone from which the young generation is continually escaping. Friends responding on Zakir's post as a cry for help for their friends in the 'friendzone' will receive a video message immediately in their inbox, which can be shared between friends as a pro-tip to swear by. 

"Pepsi has captivated the youth of India for decades with its irreverence and is known to rewrite the way people see popular occasions each year," said Shailja Joshi, Category Lead, Pepsi Cola, PepsiCo India. We couldn't have asked for a greater fit for this ad than Zakir, to give Friendship Day a new twist and motivate the young generation to rise above friendzone with their buddies. We are convinced that Zakir's humorous abilities and popularity will speak directly to the youth and inspire them to be there for their friends when they break away from friendzone, accompanied by a refreshing bottle of Pepsi." 

"I am elated to be a part of the iconic Pepsi universe - a brand that has been my friend over the years," Zakir Khan said of his decision to join Pepsi. I am honored to be the voice of this campaign, which is all about breaking away from the friendzone and owning who you are. We will celebrate friendship, self-expression, and the value of being genuine to oneself with laughter as the driving force. I hope the video inspires the viewer to "Rise Up, Baby!"