Prepare yourselves, Coke fans, a slot on Fox’s primetime lineup is about to become Pepsi territory. Wild Cherry Pepsi, to be specific.
Fox revealed Wednesday it has ordered “Cherries Wild,” a half-hour trivia game show hosted by Jason Biggs that will heavily promote Pepsi’s Wild Cherry brand. The soda maker partnered with the network for the show.
Here’s the official description for the series, which premieres Sunday, Feb. 14 at 7/6c on Fox: Created by Wes Kauble (“Beat Shazam,” “Supermarket Sweep”) and hosted by Jason Biggs (“American Pie,” “Outmatched”), this fast-paced half-hour game show will feature two rounds of pop culture trivia gameplay – during which a team of two contestants will try and “Solve the Slots” in hopes of getting one step closer to winning the $250,000 jackpot. At the end of each episode, when they spin the reels on the enormous slot machine, contestants will attempt to capture all five Wild Cherries to win the ultimate prize.
Fox and Pepsi, who have previously teamed for promotions on Fox shows like “The X-Factor” and “Empire,” call the “Cherries Wild” format concept “an authentic collaboration created with the Pepsi Wild Cherry brand” and that their partnership is “an ongoing commitment by both brands to reshape traditional media models and deliver innovative programming to excite and engage consumers.”
“We are excited to partner with our longtime friends at Pepsi on ‘Cherries Wild.’ This is a bold concept that best illustrates the limitless possibilities that can be accomplished when two great brands join forces to deliver audiences a wildly entertaining program and an equally dazzling product,” Rob Wade, president of alternative entertainment & specials at Fox Entertainment, said. “With the always charming Jason Biggs at the helm, ‘Cherries Wild’ is a refreshing twist on the classic trivia game show.”
“Now more than ever, consumers are looking for content that entertains them in new ways and formats, as the media landscape continues to rapidly evolve. I couldn’t be more excited for Pepsi to collaborate with FOX Entertainment on a new, primetime gameshow that will deliver exciting and engaging content for fans at home,” Todd Kaplan, vice president of marketing at Pepsi, said. “Pepsi Wild Cherry fans have an unlimited sense of possibility, so bringing that idea to life through a show like ‘Cherries Wild,’ where consumers will face off with a three-story tall slot machine, will be a great way to put people to the test to see who will win big.”
“Cherries Wild” was created by Wes Kauble who executive produces the series. The game show comes from Fox Alternative Entertainment. Pepsi worked with The Content Collective, the entertainment and content marketing division of Omnicom Media Group and OMD to negotiate and structure the “Cherries Wild” partnership.