If you watched last week’s Super Bowl 50, or you’ve been on the Internet since, you’ve no doubt experienced one of the creepiest ads in history. PepsiCo’s unnerving “Puppymonkeybaby” ad for Mountain Dew Kickstart started with the simple idea of combining three things that people loved (puppies, monkeys and babies) in the same way that the aforementioned soda combines Mountain Dew, juice and caffeine (because that’s what we need, more caffeinated Mountain Dew). Though the logic (sort of) makes sense in theory, the result is simply horrifying. Look at that face, those spindly arms, those chubby legs. It’s terrifying.
Though many pan the ad for “trying to hard” or or being “creepy as hell,” PepsiCo’s newest mascot is actually doing them a ton of solids. In the week following the big game, the Internet has exploded with chatter about the tri-species creature. Celebrities such as Patton Oswalt, Mindy Kailing and Levar Burton (yes, "Reading Rainbow" Levar Burton) have expressed their discontent with the ad on Twitter, garnering thousands of retweets within the hour. It’s this level of chatter that warrants the ad’s success, as everyone now knows just who Puppymonkeybaby is.
PepsiCo is no stranger to great ads, in fact, they’ve been one of the most consistent brands in terms of Super Bowl exposure. The brand’s Doritos commercials never fail to entertain year in and year out (even if this year’s ad was a little over the top!). What makes Puppymonkeybaby different is that not very many people liked the ad. However, the amount of buzz generated by this… thing... is incredible, especially with such a negative response!
If you think Puppymonkeybaby is creepy, you’ll be dismayed to know that the madness doesn’t stop at the TV set, as PepsiCo has taken it’s newest mascot and turned it into a full-blown marketing campaign. There’s even *shudder* Puppymonkeybaby merchandise.
Love it or hate it, Puppymonkeybaby is here to stay. The amount of buzz generated by this ad is simply insane. In fact, I’d be shocked if someone didn’t try to one up Puppymonkeybaby next year. Oh no… what have we done?!
