PepsiMax is a zero calorie hybrid drink, supplying the boost of an energy drink and the taste of a soda. As a result, they are forced to compete against pure energy drinks like Red Bull and Monster, as well as low calorie sodas such as Coke Zero. This fiercely competitive market prompted a radical marketing campaign since the drink’s inception in 2007.

PepsiMax spent billions on airtime during Super Bowl XLII and XLV, in addition to a series of commercials with Dallas Cowboys’ quarterback Tony Romo and owner Jerry Jones. PepsiMax continued their partnership with professional sports in 2012 with Cleveland Cavalier rookie Khyrie Irving, launching a campaign bolder than the self-proclaimed taste of their product.

The Marketing Arm hoped to create a campaign portraying that the zero-calorie status of PepsiMax did not hinder its bold taste. In other words, what consumers assumed based on the label did not truly depict the product—and Khyrie Irving was a perfect sponsor to market this idea.

Irving agreed to sit down with makeup artists and watch his transformation into a chubby 80-year old man named Uncle Drew, white hair and all. The film crew would accompany Uncle Drew to an outdoor basketball court, film the pick-up game in which he participated, and watch jaws drop as Uncle Drew crossed up defenders and slammed home alley-oops. In essence, Uncle Drew’s hidden talents paralleled the surprising bold taste of PepsiMax.

The Uncle Drew campaign was incredibly successful, reaching 10 million views within three weeks of its release. The video went viral, spreading like a forest fire across Facebook, Twitter, and other social media outlets. Although the actual gameplay was exciting and well filmed, PepsiMax went the extra mile by placing a microphone on Irving. This enabled Irving to come into character and chirp humorous trash talk at his opponents. When the game is over, a clever conclusion ties all loose ends as viewers watch the actual transformation from Irving to Uncle Drew. The immediate success of Uncle Drew laid the groundwork for the continuation of the series.

PepsiMax seized the opportunity to expand the Uncle Drew campaign, designing a sequel featuring Kevin Love, who goes by “Wes.” Uncle Drew part 2 received even more views than the initial video, and PepsiMax went a step further by creating a 30-second short clip that aired during Game 1 of the NBA Finals. This was a huge step forward for the Uncle Drew series, and PepsiMax followed by creating a third chapter featuring three-time Slam Dunk Contest champion Nate Robinson and female superstar Maya Moore. PepsiMax is hitting the right buttons with Uncle Drew, but the opportunity to diversify marketing with different athletes, locations, and sports leaves plenty of room for growth.

The third chapter of the Uncle Drew series did a wonderful job diversifying based on gender with the addition of Maya Moore. Her presence in the video helps target women’s basketball fans and those familiar with her years at Connecticut and in the WNBA. It also adds a new layer to the video and makes for more humorous dialogue in the form of bickering between Moore and Nate Robinson, who goes by “Lights.” PepsiMax covered their bases regarding race and gender, but the next step is to attract an international audience.

Diversifying the Uncle Drew series also relates to where filming takes place. PepsiMax has currently filmed in New Jersey, Chicago, and Los Angeles, but imagine if they took filming up north to Canada. Filming in a market such as Toronto, home to an NBA team, would make perfect sense in order to market PepsiMax internationally and target a new regional demographic. Furthermore, using a Canadian-born player such as Steve Nash in the video would be a clever tactic to ensure that the campaign attracts their target demographic. International expansion would surely benefit PepsiMax, and Canada is not the only market in which the Uncle Drew campaign would be beneficial.

The NBA has a large international audience outside of North America, with increasing numbers of players entering the league. Using an international star such as Ricky Rubio in an upcoming Uncle Drew film would be ideal to market PepsiMax to Europeans. Imagine Rubio, a disguised Spaniard returning to the States where he was once a foreign exchange student. Rubio would start slow, but eventually find himself in a rhythm, dazzling bystanders and competitors with nifty passes and wicked dribbling and clicking with his former high school teammates in Uncle Drew, Wes, and Lights. Similar to the Toronto proposal, PepsiMax would be hitting an untapped market in Europe where the potential to promote their product is endless.

PepsiMax has thrived on bold and unique advertising strategies, but as with any marketing strategy, there is always room to improve. In the coming months and years, expect this athlete-based campaign to grow and expand into a worldwide phenomenon.