We hired real people who were REJECTED at Coke and McDonald’s castings to be the main characters in our activation, just by being themselves. We collected their testimonies expressing why they didn’t fit with the perfect advertising stereotypes. These regular guys, real families and people who did not have to fake their happiness participated in the event and we were able to make them all feel accepted just the way they are. At the end, the question for everyone was: WHY WOULD YOU CHOOSE A BRAND THAT WOULDN’T CHOOSE YOU?

We invited actors who were rejected at our competitor’s castings to participate in a one-day event. It all took place at the Goethe Institute in Buenos Aires, where we interviewed them one by one to hear them share their experiences being rejected by Coke and McDonalds. We recorded everything, and while these candid and authentic stories gave us tons of material to produce digital content, they also gave regular guys a unique opportunity to redeem themselves.

The activation made a huge impact, with a global reach of 27.5 million. “Rejected” was the most viewed YouTube video in Argentina during the month of the campaign, garnering a total of 12.1 million views (with the :15 teaser and the long-form video posted by both Pepsi & Burger King through their social media channels). The hashtag #rejected became a trending topic, leading the conversation about authenticity within advertising. Both brands saw a significant increase in positive brand perception by consumers, with an 81% positive brand sentiment on social networks.