PepsiCo’s Sting Leans Heavily Into Sonic Branding With Cricket-Centric Campaign

PepsiCo’s energy drink brand Sting is sharpening its brand playbook by leaning into sonic identity, aiming to build recall much like Intel’s iconic chime or Netflix’s “Tudum.”

In its latest cricket-led campaign, featuring Yuvraj Singh and Ravi Shastri, the brand invites fans to reimagine every six as a “Sting six.” The twist lies in pronunciation: a shorter hit earns a crisp “Sting,” while a towering shot stretches into an emphatic “Stiiinng.” The longer the six, the longer the sound.

For a brand historically defined by its bold red packaging and mass affordability, this marks a strategic evolution. Sting is moving beyond purely functional energy messaging toward cultivating long-term cultural and sonic assets in an increasingly crowded market.

“Distinction has always been embedded in the brand’s codes,” says Diksha Bajaj, category lead for the energy portfolio at PepsiCo India. “One of our earliest campaigns introduced a sound mnemonic, that focus on distinction continues.”

The sonic ambition is not new. Last year, Sting tapped into Formula 1, drawing parallels between the roar of an F1 engine and the word “Sting,” before becoming an Official Partner of the Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 Team. The cricket push builds on that foundation.

From Functional Energy to Cultural Relevance

India’s energy drinks market is expanding rapidly, fuelled by growing youth consumption and deeper retail penetration. According to IMARC Group, the category is valued at approximately $1.5 billion in 2025 and is projected to nearly double to $2.9 billion by 2034.

Within this high-growth landscape, alongside established names like Red Bull, Monster Energy and Coca-Cola India’s Charged by Thums Up, differentiation is increasingly moving beyond product benefits.

While Sting continues to communicate its energy credentials in more linear, functional campaigns, the new cricket activation reflects a dual strategy.

“We will continue to build superiority through functional communication,” Bajaj explains. “But we will also be present in the passion points that matter to consumers.”

Cricket, and specifically the six, emerged as the natural creative hook. “Everybody calls a six a six, but not every six is the same,” she notes, a nuance the brand has translated into sound.

Why Yuvraj Singh and Ravi Shastri?

The choice of Yuvraj Singh and Ravi Shastri may seem unconventional for a youth-focused energy drink at a time when younger cricketers dominate brand endorsements. However, Bajaj frames the pairing around iconic energy rather than age demographics.

“Yuvraj is synonymous with sixes. His energy, his journey, his sixes, everything about him is iconic,” she says.

Shastri, meanwhile, brings vocal distinction to the sonic ambition. “There are very few voices as recognisable as his. His commentary style aligns perfectly with what we want to achieve.”

The duo also evoke one of cricket’s most unforgettable moments, Yuvraj’s six sixes in an over, with Shastri on commentary, reinforcing nostalgia and cultural memory.

To convert the sonic cue into consumer habit, PepsiCo is rolling out the campaign across television and social platforms at scale. As Bajaj puts it, “Sonic identity allows you to instantly recognise the brand the moment you hear it, helping us stay distinct and easily recallable.”