PepsiCo Australia is the latest big brand to join the Shift 20 Initiative, a movement aimed at enhancing disability inclusion and representation in the Australian marketing landscape.

As an Official Brand Partner of Shift 20, PepsiCo will run campaigns for its brands, including Red Rock Deli and Gatorade, that are inclusive of disability. The partnership is part of PepsiCo’s ongoing commitment to fostering a diverse workforce and creating a collaborative, equitable, and inclusive space.

“We are so proud to join the Shift 20 Initiative in its mission to influence positive change for every Australian living with a disability. Creating a diverse environment that puts its people first is at the heart of how we operate at PepsiCo, and we look forward to furthering our efforts in this space with Shift 20.” said CEO ANZ at PepsiCo, Kyle Faulconer.

The Shift 20 Initiative, pioneered by the Dylan Alcott Foundation, is a coalition of top brands working towards increased disability representation, inclusion, and accessibility in marketing and communications.

Almost 20%, or 4 million Australians, live with disability, yet only 1% of people with disability are represented within advertising. The partnership, already in motion, will last for 12 months from October 2024.

“We are so excited to have PepsiCo on board as a Shift 20 Partner. To have such iconic brands recognise the importance of disability representation and inclusion is huge and we’re looking forward to consulting on future campaigns for Gatorade and Red Rock Deli to ensure that we’re representing the nearly 20% of Australians who live with disability,” said Shift 20 Initiative Lead at the Dylan Alcott Foundation, Priya Addams Williams.

PepsiCo, which generated more than $86 billion in net revenue in 2022, has a broad product portfolio that includes Lay’s, Doritos, Cheetos, Gatorade, Pepsi-Cola, Mountain Dew, Quaker, and SodaStream. The company’s vision is to ‘Be the Global Leader in Beverages and Convenient Foods by Winning with pep+’ (PepsiCo Positive), a strategic end-to-end transformation that puts sustainability and human capital at the centre of how the company creates value and growth.