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BRAND STRATEGY
PepsiCo debuts its global Miranda soft drink brand platform in Uganda
By our African Marketing Confederation News Team | 2025
Company believes Uganda’s dynamic youth culture, love of bold flavour and creative energy make it an ideal market to debut the campaign.
Uganda has become the first market globally to debut the Mirinda Smiles campaign from PepsiCo. It sets the stage for a rollout across sub-Saharan Africa and the rest of the world.
PepsiCo is partnering with local distributor, Crown Beverages Limited (CBL), on the campaign for its Miranda soft drink brand.
CBL is PepsiCo’s Ugandan bottler and the country’s oldest beverages company. Its portfolio includes brands such as Pepsi, Mountain Dew, 7UP, Evervess Tonic, Sting Energy Drink, Nivana Water and Aquafina.
“Uganda’s dynamic youth culture, love of bold flavour, and creative energy make it the perfect market to debut Mirinda Smiles,” reports Nile Post, an East African news portal. It describes Mirinda Smiles as “a vibrant new brand platform designed to celebrate the contagious power of joy”.
Photo: PepsiCo/CBL
The report quotes Marius Vorster, Marketing Director, Africa Franchise at PepsiCo, as saying: “Uganda embodies the vibrant personality of Mirinda. Launching Mirinda Smiles here first reflects the region’s unmatched creativity, its love of bold flavour and the optimism of a generation that knows joy is meant to be shared.”
Refreshed global visual identity
According to Trendtype, the emerging markets consultancy, the digital-first initiative coincides with the company’s refreshed global visual identity. In October 2025, PepsiCo unveils its first branding overhaul in almost 25 years, diluting some of the focus on founding brand Pepsi and highlighting other brands within its extensive portfolio.
Says Nile Post: “The launch reinforces PepsiCo’s commitment to celebrating local culture while connecting with Gen Z audiences across Africa – a generation that is expressive, digital-first and unafraid to live life in full colour.”
Comments Rogers Anguzu, Commercial Manager at Crown Beverages Limited: “We’re excited to launch Mirinda Smiles in Uganda – a campaign that mirrors the energy, humour and spirit of our youth. This launch is about sparking real smiles in our communities, one sip at a time.”
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