Super Bowl ad revives rivalry with polar bear and pop drama

A bold opening move in the cola wars

February 9, 2026: Pepsi officially reignited its rivalry with Coca-Cola during the Super Bowl by doing the unthinkable: borrowing Coke’s most recognizable icon. The commercial opened with a familiar polar bear, long associated with Coke’s winter branding, before flipping expectations and revealing Pepsi as the instigator.
Shot fired.

Image Credit: Pepsi

Rewriting Coke’s own symbolism

By co-opting the polar bear, Pepsi didn’t just mock a competitor — it rewrote decades of soda symbolism in seconds. The move signaled a return to aggressive brand warfare, positioning Pepsi as playful, disruptive, and unafraid to trespass on sacred marketing ground.
Lines crossed.

Coldplay scandal gets Super Bowl treatment

The ad escalated by referencing the viral Coldplay “cheating camera” concert scandal, recreating the moment as part of its narrative. By blending pop-culture gossip with brand rivalry, Pepsi anchored the commercial firmly in 2026’s internet memory.
Chaos embraced.

Nostalgia meets internet-age pettiness

This wasn’t a quiet nod to the past — it was a loud reminder of the classic cola wars updated for meme culture. Pepsi fused nostalgia with modern scandal, suggesting that competition today thrives on remixing shared cultural moments rather than inventing new ones.
Old war, new rules.

Image Credit: Pepsi

Why the strategy worked

Instead of selling taste, Pepsi sold relevance. By hijacking Coke’s imagery and internet drama in one swing, the brand ensured its ad wouldn’t just be watched — it would be dissected, memed, and debated.
Attention captured.

Image Credit: Pepsi

Final thoughts

Pepsi didn’t ease back into the cola wars — it kicked the door open. Stealing the polar bear and weaponizing pop scandal made one thing clear: this rivalry is no longer polite.
War declared.

FAQs

Q1: What did Pepsi do in its Super Bowl commercial?
It revived the cola wars by using Coke’s polar bear imagery and referencing a viral Coldplay scandal.

Q2: Why is the polar bear significant?
The polar bear has been one of Coca-Cola’s most iconic branding symbols for decades.

Q3: What pop culture moment did Pepsi reference?
A viral Coldplay concert cheating scandal that circulated widely online.

Q4: Why did the ad stand out?
It combined nostalgia, brand rivalry, and current internet culture in one bold move.

Q5: Does this signal a return of the cola wars?
Yes — the ad suggests Pepsi is openly reentering direct competition with Coke.