Pepsi-Cola USA was one of the largest radio advertisers in America and wanted to leverage its investment in that medium. Working closely with Pepsi’s legendary media boss, Henry Hayes, Gordon created the Pepsi Challenge Radio to do just that.

Created nationally but executed locally, a series of promotions were designed to build listeners for radio stations while they increased awareness, store traffic, and sales for Pepsi. Local bottlers conducted over 200 promotions annually for 5 years, and their co-sponsoring stations provided over $6 million in bonus airtime each year throughout that period. Pepsi sales and share in market after market went up and up.

The campaign’s high-point came when Pepsi bought its precedent-setting sponsorship of the Michael Jackson tour. The company offered broadcasters the opportunity to become the “Official Michael Jackson Station” in each concert market. They could give their listeners hundreds, even thousands of tickets to the Jackson concerts, as long as they provided the infamous bonus spots to Pepsi. WXYZ, what’s your bid? WPEP, what’s yours? Leverage? In spades. And Pepsis.