A BATTLE IS BREWING

RICHARD TURCSIK

The first salvos in the root beer war already have been fired. Jon Harris, a spokesman for Somers, N.Y.-based Pepsi-Cola Co., said Pepsi launched its first commercials for its Mug line of root beer, diet root beer, cream and diet cream sodas last month with a series of commercials centering around a new "The Foam Goes Straight to Your Brain" campaign.

"We're trying to introduce root beer to a new, younger, hip market through eccentric, quirky, hilarious scenarios that really illustrate the fun and surreal effects that Mug has on consumption," he told SN.

Mart Martin, manager of media relations at Coca-Cola Co., Atlanta, said Coke is going to be aggressively marketing its Barq's brand, which it acquired last summer.

"We clearly plan to make Barq's the largest root beer brand in the country," he said, noting that Barq's is currently available in two-thirds of the country, with a goal of 100% distribution.

Barq's is introducing new TV, radio and outdoor advertising, as well as retail displays and promotion later on in the summer. Its fountain system will also be expanded.

"Part of the reason that we're expecting to do so well is because people, especially the teens, are looking for different flavors than they are used to drinking. Even though the brand is 97 years old, we feel that it has a [more] contemporary edge to it than other root beers. That's why our tag line is 'The one with bite,' because it does have a bite," Martin said.

In an effort to catch more shoppers, market leader A&W has teamed up with Marvel Comics for a summerlong "Spider-Man" promotion that involves displays, specially marked packages and an offer for a Spider-Man color-change root beer mug. The campaign involves more than $2.5 million in TV advertising, along with radio commercials and full-page ads in Marvel comic books.