Pepsi Celebrates COVID-19 Heroes In China With New Campaign

The COVID-19 outbreak has upended the way we live, and we are still very much living through the fallout and its subsequent wrath. If any good has come from this nightmare scenario, a lot of the people and jobs that form the foundation of modern life are finally getting some recognition. 

From medical workers that are literally triaging civilization to those that get our food from the field to our kitchen tables, keep our transportation and communication networks running, and the folks that spare us potential viral contact by delivering our meals and items to our front door, they deserve our gratitude and, yes, better pay.

Pepsi, in collaboration with Chinese state-run People’s Daily New Media, launched a new campaign at celebrating those essential workers that continue working despite the risks of contracting the highly contagious coronavirus. 

“Everyday Heroes” include illustrations showcasing a store worker holding an infrared thermometer, a delivery driver glancing down his phone sitting on his scooter, a construction worker holding a hammer, and what appears to be a medical worker wearing a full-body piece of Personal Protection Equipment (PPE). The classic design aesthetic is reminiscent of mid-century patriotic posters celebrating workers on the frontlines of entirely different wars.

According to Mauro Porcini, SVP & Chief Design Officer at PepsiCo, the campaign also aims to inspire children to become a “new hero” in the future, and it is part of PepsiCo’s global effort to help communities around the world impacted by COVID-19.