The war between some of the top brands has been going on for quite some time. With several prominent brands in the market that are all seeking the same audience, this marketing fight is inevitable. This advertising battle often tends to get quite serious with brands putting all their efforts into belittling their competition.
These battles between our favorite brands are always interesting to watch. And that’s exactly why we are back with some of the most interesting and intriguing advertising wars between brands from yesteryears. So, let’s get started without any further ado.
1. Pepsi vs Coca-Cola
Pepsi and Coca-Cola are the first names that come to our minds when we talk about marketing battles. They very well understand the significance of the competition that exists between them and that’s exactly why they keep coming up with new and exciting advertisements against each other, every now and then.
This commercial dates back to as far as 1995 and showed employees from Coca-Cola and Pepsi getting friendly with each other. But just when you thought that the two rivals had finally decided to bury the hatchet and move ahead, they remind us exactly why this rivalry began in the first place and i.e., the eternal question of “Pepsi or Coke?”
Watch the ad to understand why their rivalry has become an epic tale in marketing.
2. McDonald’s vs Burger King
McDonald’s and Burger King are both known for their burgers and other fast food items. But McDonald’s has a much larger presence than Burger King because of its evenly spread out food outlets. This gives McDonald’s an upper hand over Burger King and it decided to leverage it in its marketing campaign.
In of its commercials in France, McDonald’s put a directional billboard of Burger King being 258 KMs away and McDonald’s being just 5 KMs ahead.
However, Burger King soon came up with a witty response and used the same commercial to their advantage, which proves why Burger King marketers are so awesome.
3. Domino’s vs Subway
After Domino’s began its oven-baked sandwiches and promoted them through advertising, a battle started between Subway and Domino’s. It launched a blind taste campaign where it let people taste the sandwich, resulting in a 2-to-1 outcome against Subway.
However, things soon got pretty ugly when an offended Subway team decided to send a cease-and-desist letter to Domino’s. But this didn’t restrain Domino’s either and they soon came back with an even wittier advertisement. The commercial showed Domino’s CEO Dave Brandon acknowledging Subway’s letter by oven baking it in the commercial.
This ad became inactive after a few months but you can watch it here.
4. Pepsodent vs Colgate
Toothpaste brands Pepsodent and Colgate have always been at each other’s throats. Over the years, they have launched many competitive ads to get a major chunk of the market share.
One such ad from Pepsodent showed that it promised to deliver 130% of Colgate’s germ attack power. A noticeable thing about this advertisement is that Pepsodent passes no disparaging remarks against its rival. However, it also makes no effort to tone down its ‘enhanced performance’. Ever heard of subtlety, Pepsodent?
5. Audi vs BMW
While Audi and BMW have been known for their creatively designed cars, they are also known for their creative and witty advertisements.
This was well demonstrated a few years ago when these car markers had an ongoing marketing war just after BMW released an ad campaign for the 35th MOA rally. The marketing war began like any other ambush marketing tactic but soon started assuming gigantic proportion and it started to look as if banners were talking to each other.
It began with this.
And then this happened.
Honestly, this looks like college kids getting into a fight, except that the kids here have got huge marketing teams behind them to hurl insults at each other.
Wrapping Up
The rapidly growing market has made competition among brands pretty fierce these days. Hence, marketing these days is not only about serving the audience but also portraying the brand as superior to its rivals. However, brands must ensure that they don’t go too overboard in trying to pass themselves off as the better choice for consumers, and maintaining a certain standard of decency and professionalism is key to marketing.
We’ll soon be back with a few more witty and funny ads. Till then, stay tuned.