Deriving value beyond core products from PepsiCo's billion dollar brands
Concept development, agency ideation, brand diversification strategy, internal pitch, cross-brand frameworks
The Opportunity
Large, mature brands like those within PepsiCo carry deep equity, high awareness, and loyal audiences — but their value was mostly tied to whatever was inside the bottle, bag, or box. There was untapped potential in the intellectual property of PepsiCo’s billion-dollar brands to drive engagement, cultural relevance, and revenue outside core product sales. PepsiCo’s brands had enormous cultural equity and awareness — but most of their value was still tied to what lived inside the bottle, bag, or box. There was untapped potential in the intellectual property of PepsiCo’s billion-dollar brands to drive engagement, cultural relevance, and revenue outside core product sales.
The Strategy
Build an internal creative studio designed to help brands activate their equity in new ways — through creator collaboration, cultural storytelling, and IP-driven experiences. Creators League Studio was conceived as both a creative engine and a business model: enabling brands to move faster, experiment more freely, and translate cultural insight into content, partnerships, and monetizable extensions. The goal wasn’t to create campaigns — it was to build a repeatable system for brand-led growth beyond advertising.
The Work
Founding the Studio
Spearheaded the vision for what became Creators League Studio — defining its purpose, capabilities, and operating ethos. Built the initial pitch and framework, then secured buy-in from internal stakeholders by demonstrating how the concept could help brands grow both culture and commerce.
Building the Brand-Diversification Framework
Worked with clients including Lay’s, Pepsi, Tropicana, and Quaker to define an ethos that transcended products and could guide diversification efforts. This included positioning, cultural context, and partnership lenses that helped each brand explore opportunities outside its traditional category.
Developed and piloted marketing plans that included product extensions, branded experiences, and entertainment-driven content — such as the Kola House, licensing businesses for Pepsi and 7Up, and Black Knight Decoded, a film produced by Pepsi and the Creator’s League. These pilots turned brands into platforms for cultural expression and new business models.
Launching Monetization Initiatives
Developed and piloted marketing plans that included product extensions, branded experiences, and entertainment-driven content — such as the Kola House, licensing businesses for Pepsi and 7Up, and Black Knight Decoded, a film produced by Pepsi and the Creator’s League. These pilots turned brands into platforms for cultural expression and new business models.
The Results
Creators League Studio became a mechanism for PepsiCo brands to express themselves beyond category boundaries — turning awareness into cultural relevance and, in some cases, new revenue opportunities. As a result of the success of the agency, I received PepsiCo’s “Crazy Enough to Invent the Future” Award in recognition of “outstanding behavior that pushes the boundaries, challenges the way we think and transforms the way we work.