Dr Pepper is using mobile advertising and video to get the word out about its Always One of a Kind campaign, as well as bolster brand awareness.

The company is running the campaign within People?s mobile site. Dr Pepper is no stranger to mobile and has heavily relied on the medium in the past to engage consumers in a new and unique way.

"The Dr. Pepper mobile ad campaign is lacking in pep," said Simon Buckingham, CEO of Appitalism, New York. "The campaign replicates the soda giant's current TV campaign but doesn't add any mobile specific calls-to-action or promotions or elements, which reduces the incentive for consumers to actively click on the banner ads. 

"The Dr. Pepper banner ads also lack compelling visual design and colors, which means they don't stand out well against the people.com color scheme," he said. 

Mr. Buckingham is not affiliated with Dr Pepper. He commented based on his expertise on the subject.

Dr Pepper did not respond to press inquiries. 

Brand awareness
The Dr Pepper mobile ad reads ?Dr Pepper/1 Zero Calories, Great Taste, Always One of a Kind.?

When consumers tap on the mobile ad, it opens up to reveal a video that highlights the new campaign and well as lets consumers learn more about the individuals who embody its new initiative.

The campaign is mobile-optimized until consumers tap to learn more about the individuals. From there, users have to tap-and-zoom to browse other videos and content.

Although the final execution is not mobile-optimized, the campaign still delivers.

It is important for marketers to make mobile a part of their new initiative, especially because a majority of users now access day-to-day content via their handsets.

Past effort
Last year, Dr Pepper ran mobile video advertisements that let consumers learn more about the brand and connect with social media.

The Dr Pepper mobile ads ran as in-stream commercials within the Hulu Plus iPhone application. In addition to the tie with social media, the ads also promoted a sweepstakes with Marvel's "The Avengers" film (see story).

"I'm not sure that many people will want to watch a video or 'see more stories' on a mobile device," Mr. Buckingham said. "If they do want to see more stories, then they are taken to the company's Web site, which is not mobile optimized." 

Final Take
Rimma Kats is associate editor on Mobile Marketer, New York