Uganda has become the first market worldwide to launch PepsiCo’s new Mirinda Smiles platform. Built around “Sip a Mirinda, Spread the Smile,” the campaign channels youth energy through music, creator culture and community experiences, aligning with Mirinda’s refreshed global visual identity ahead of its Sub-Saharan Africa rollout.
Uganda has taken centre stage in PepsiCo’s global marketing narrative, becoming the first market worldwide to launch the new Mirinda Smiles platform. The debut, which precedes a broader rollout across Sub-Saharan Africa, positions the country not merely as a test market, but as a creative and cultural bellwether for a brand seeking deeper resonance with young consumers in fast-growing regions.
Built around the simple yet expressive idea “Sip a Mirinda, Spread the Smile,” the Mirinda Smiles platform marks a shift in how the iconic orange-flavoured beverage engages with its audience. Rather than focusing solely on product attributes, the campaign leans into emotion, participation and shared experiences. At its core is the belief that joy is contagious—and that a drink like Mirinda can act as a catalyst for moments of connection, creativity and optimism.
PepsiCo’s choice of Uganda as the global launchpad reflects the country’s unique demographic and cultural energy. With one of the youngest populations in the world, Uganda represents a generation that is expressive, digitally fluent and culturally confident. Music, humour and visual storytelling play a central role in how young Ugandans communicate and define identity, making the market a natural fit for a platform rooted in smiles, bold colour and vibrant self-expression.
According to Marius Vorster, Marketing Director for the Africa Franchise at PepsiCo, Uganda captures the very personality Mirinda seeks to amplify. He described the country as embodying the brand’s vibrant spirit and the optimism of a generation that understands joy as something meant to be shared. This framing moves Mirinda beyond refreshment, positioning it as a symbol of collective happiness and youthful confidence.
The Mirinda Smiles platform comes to life through a carefully curated mix of music, creator culture and youth-led experiences. One of its flagship expressions is the Into The B’RAKA Land concert, designed as a high-energy celebration that brings together sound, colour and community. Music has long been a powerful connector in Uganda, and anchoring the campaign in live performance allows the brand to meet its audience where emotion and identity are most intensely experienced.
Alongside large-scale events, the platform taps into youth culture through initiatives such as Mirinda Teenz Kulture, influencer partnerships and community activations. These elements are not positioned as peripheral tactics, but as integral pillars of the campaign. By engaging creators and influencers who already shape conversations among young people, Mirinda Smiles embeds itself authentically within local culture, rather than speaking at audiences from the outside.
Community activations further extend the campaign’s reach beyond digital and entertainment spaces. By encouraging participation at the grassroots level, the platform reinforces the idea that smiles are everyday experiences, not just moments engineered by big events. This balance between spectacle and intimacy is central to the campaign’s aim of creating real emotional connection rather than short-term buzz.
For Crown Beverages Limited, PepsiCo’s bottling partner in Uganda, the launch represents more than a marketing milestone. Commercial Manager Rogers Anguzu described the campaign as a reflection of the energy and humour of Ugandan youth, emphasising its focus on sparking genuine smiles “one sip at a time.” His comments highlight the collaborative nature of the launch, where local insight plays a vital role in translating global brand strategy into culturally relevant execution.
The debut of Mirinda Smiles in Uganda also coincides with PepsiCo’s refreshed global visual identity. The new look, characterised by bolder colours and more dynamic design, aligns closely with the emotional tone of the campaign. For Mirinda, a brand already associated with brightness and flavour, the updated identity amplifies its visual impact while creating consistency across global markets.
This alignment between platform and identity signals a broader strategic reset for the brand. In an increasingly crowded beverage market, differentiation is no longer driven solely by taste or price. Brands must compete for attention and emotional relevance, especially among younger consumers who expect authenticity, participation and cultural alignment. Mirinda Smiles responds to this challenge by making joy its central currency.
Uganda’s role as the first market to launch the platform underscores a growing shift in how multinational brands view emerging markets. Rather than simply following strategies developed elsewhere, markets like Uganda are increasingly shaping global narratives. By choosing to lead with Uganda, PepsiCo acknowledges the creative influence and cultural confidence emerging from Sub-Saharan Africa.
The launch also reflects a broader trend within PepsiCo’s Africa strategy, which places emphasis on youth engagement and local relevance. With Africa’s population expected to continue growing rapidly, brands that succeed will be those that invest early in understanding and celebrating the aspirations of young consumers. Mirinda Smiles positions the brand as an ally in youth expression, rather than just a product choice.
As the platform prepares to roll out across Sub-Saharan Africa, Uganda will serve as a reference point for how joy-led branding can be activated meaningfully at scale. The learnings from music events, influencer collaborations and community touchpoints are likely to inform adaptations in neighbouring markets, each with its own cultural nuances.
Ultimately, the Mirinda Smiles launch is about more than colour, flavour or campaign mechanics. It is a statement about how brands can participate in culture with humility and enthusiasm. By centring its narrative on shared happiness and everyday optimism, Mirinda aligns itself with a generation that values experiences over possessions and connection over convention.
For Ugandan youth, the campaign offers recognition and representation, affirming that their energy and creativity are worthy of global attention. For PepsiCo, it marks the beginning of a bold new chapter for Mirinda—one where smiles are not just a by-product of refreshment, but the very purpose of the brand.
As more colour, flavour and joy spread from Uganda to the rest of Sub-Saharan Africa, Mirinda Smiles stands as an example of how global brands can find their most authentic voice by listening closely to the communities they serve. In doing so, PepsiCo has placed Uganda at the heart of a story that begins locally, but is designed to travel far.
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