An Open Letter to Pepsi and Pizza Hut for 2015

To Whom It May Concern at PepsiCo and Yum! Brands:

Back to the Future Part II was released to theaters in 1989, and over the quarter-century which has followed, one fact has become abundantly clear: People love this movie. Granted, people love the first and (to a lesser degree) the third movies as well, but the second holds a special significance thanks to it giving us a glimpse of what the future holds.

Some “predictions,” as people like to call them, have come to pass, whereas others have not. Regardless, the movie has been the biggest centralized point in pop culture to represent what people have wanted the year 2015 to be.

It’s no coincidence that numerous people have constantly been fooled by hoaxes which declared “Back to the Future Day” in years prior, typically going viral in the process. And these are the less hardcore Back to the Future fans who are getting excited and spreading the hoaxes further, eventually leading to a site dedicated to the misconception.

More recent examples include one from 2011, when Nike agreed to create limited edition replicas of the power-lacing sneakers Michael J. Fox wore in the movie. Considering the hefty price tag, you can imagine the disappointment felt when it was revealed that while these had their own LED lights, they did not actually “power lace,” even though the proceeds from the shoes’ auctions went to benefit the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s disease research.

Perhaps it’s because of that disappointment that Nike is now working on the real thing. When are they going to release them? When else? 2015 is when they’re planned to become available.

The popularity of the trilogy was even enough to see LEGO start up a line of their building block sets based on the films. Consider that it’s the only property they’ve licensed which does not have any new material in production (versus new Star Wars or Batman sets), and you can see that there is indeed something special here.

More recently still, the world took notice when a mysterious organization known as HUVr released a video which went viral, showing none other than Christopher “Doc Brown” Lloyd partaking in what was purportedly a real life hoverboard demonstration. Six million people watched the video before humor website Funny or Die came forward and admitted it was a hoax. While some guessed beforehand, others really wanted this part of Back to the Future Part II‘s 2015 to become a reality.

People love it, and want to embrace it. They want to be a part of that 2015. And I think you can help them in a small way.

To Pepsi: Five years ago, when you changed your logo to the current version, I penned a short article about your product placement in the movie, represented in part by the fictitious “Pepsi Perfect.” Much as I would love to see that beverage, described as “a vitamin-enriched variety of Pepsi cola” (which Coca-Cola has apparently already made their own version of), I can understand why releasing that in time for the occasion might not be possible.

Similarly, I don’t know how feasible it would be for you to offer the same style of bottle with a built-in straw (pictured) at regular retail. As a special collectible, though, I’m sure you’d have more than a few buyers– especially seeing as there are people out there who are already making their own prop replicas. At the very least, you wouldn’t need to charge $50 for it.

However, even without Pepsi Perfect, you do still produce Pepsi, Diet Pepsi, and Pepsi Max. What would be cool is if you were to use the same logo to brand your products throughout 2015 to commemorate Back to the Future Part II‘s place in pop culture iconography, and your own place as a part of it. I have very little doubt that fellow Back to the Future fans would snatch up whatever you release with that particular logo as a keepsake of when the movie world’s 2015 crossed over with our own real 2015.

To Yum! Brands; specifically, to Pizza Hut:

You also had your own part to play in Back to the Future Part II, including a storefront in the 2015 version of the iconic Hill Valley Courthouse Square.

I will admit: I don’t think anyone would be quite as eager to eat a dehydrated pizza as they would be to drink a Future-styled Pepsi, whether it came from Pizza Hut or anyone else. That said, similar to the suggestion for Pepsi above, it would be cool to see some in-store and package branding to match the logo featured in the film. (It would be unreasonable to expect your exterior restaurant signs to change, great as that would be.)

While I’m sure people would be happy to keep some pizza boxes fashioned after the movie’s logo around, you do have one other thing you could potentially offer: Sunglasses!

via Just Eighties Fashion

When Back to the Future Part II was released all those years ago, Pizza Hut not only had product placement in the movie, but also ads tying in to its release and these “Solar Shade” tie-in sunglasses. Between the public’s retro nostalgia and just a general affinity for Back to the Future overall, reissuing these would surely grab some attention– and would look good with those Nike power-lacing Mag-Airs, to boot.

2015 is quite literally a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity; once those 365 days have passed, you will never have the opportunity to capitalize on this event in the same way ever again. You won’t, I won’t, no one will. That’s why I ask, as a Back to the Future fan and a frequent consumer of products from both of your companies, that you please don’t let this one pass you by.

Sincerely,

–David Oxford
#PepsiPizzaHutBTTF2015

David Oxford

David Oxford, or “LBD ‘Nytetrayn’,” as he is sometimes also known, is a freelance writer of many varied interests who resides in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. If you’re interested in hiring him, please drop him a line at david.oxford (at) nyteworks.net.

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