No Fear Is Too Small:PepsiCo India Changes the Definition of Heroism

PepsiCo's Mountain Dew brand in India had been using the same communication strategy for over 20 years - showing celebrity action heroes performing death-defying stunts to convey the brand's message of "courage to win."

While successful, 57% of sales came from rural areas, and the brand was not resonating as strongly with urban youth. To increase relevance and sales in cities, Mountain Dew launched the "No Fear Is Too Small" campaign. The insight was that while the old ads told everyone "fear comes to all," the fears shown were only those of superhuman movie stars. During the pandemic, everyone felt vulnerable - vulnerable is the new strong. It was time to show fears that were relatable to average people.

The campaign’s objectives were to increase overall sales 20% nationally and urban sales 30% to reach target market shares. Videos featured real people overcoming everyday fears rather than stunts. More than 900 micro-influencers openly discussed conquering personal fears on social media. Over 5,000 content creators competed by creating videos on the topic. A key activation was a massive 3D hologram installation in New Delhi inviting over a million people to share their fears. As stories were shared, 25-foot holograms of the people appeared in real-time. This brought the “No Fear Too Small” concept to life by celebrating everyday acts of courage.

Results were impressive. Digital content gained a record 11 billion views, 65% from urban India. Sales grew 34% year-over-year nationally, exceeding the 20% target. Most impressively for the objective, urban sales increased 59% versus the 30% goal. Brand metrics like relevance and believability also increased substantially in urban centers.

The campaign showed that heroism does not need to be superhuman. By reframing courage as encompassing small, relatable fears rather than stunts, Mountain Dew strengthened relevance with key urban audiences without diluting its rural position. The "No Fear Is Too Small" idea and innovative activations like the holograms succeeded in driving sales growth through an insightful reframing of brand messaging.

This case study highlights how challenging preconceptions can reinvigorate a brand by making its messaging more inclusive and relevant to new target audiences.