Pepsi usurps Coke's jolly pitchman

ATLANTA, June 30 (UPI) -- A new Pepsi television commercial hits Coca-Cola below a big, wide, black belt.

Santa Claus, who has been shilling for Coke since 1931, is on vacation in the new ad, when he orders a Pepsi, telling a bartender, "Make it a Pepsi. I'm on vacation. Gonna have a little fun."

Pepsi described the ad as kind of "ho-ho-ho" but Coke for now might have the last laugh, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported Thursday.

"Pepsi has a tradition over time of doing this kind of communication. It's funny and witty. Everybody benefits," said Massimo d'Amore, chief executive officer of PepsiCo Beverages Americas.

"The category grows, and it's something U.S. consumers love to watch. It's a competitive spirit," he said.

Coca-Cola declined to comment, but the newspaper said the vacationing Santa is not going away soon.

He is expected to dominate Pepsi's Twitter page, the newspaper said.

The rivalry between Pepsi and Coke has often playfully been called the cola wars, which may mean Pepsi has decided to quietly return to the battle front. The firm is jumping its advertising budget 30 percent for North America this year.

For now, however, Coke has the laurels. Diet Coke took over Pepsi to hold the No. 2 position in soft-drinks this year.

The Wall Street Journal called that "a huge embarrassment," the Journal-Constitution noted.