MTN DEW INTRODUCES SWEET LIGHTNING® AVAILABLE EXCLUSIVELY AT KFC U.S. - A BOLD NEW BEVERAGE TO PAIR PERFECTLY WITH THE COLONEL'S 11 HERBS AND SPICES

DEW's new pitchman is so "Sweet" that Colonel Sanders hired him on the spot

Purchase, New York, June 11, 2019- Mountain Dew® and KFC® are partnering to electrify their beverage lineup with Sweet Lightning®, an out-of-this-sky refreshment lit up with a punch of peach and a touch of honey flavors. Available exclusively at KFC restaurants nationwide by July 1, DEW is fixin' up a true-to-its-roots soda that will brighten each and every one of your taste buds.

How did this come to be? Meet Sweet.

He's the MTN DEW pitchman who is sweet, smooth and lightning-fast enough to become a mainstay at KFC, where the food is finger lickin' good. How did it go down? With a "glass is always full" swagger, Sweet strolls into Colonel Sanders'office with his Southern charm and wins him over quicker than a bolt of lightning could strike! The Colonel and Sweet shook on it, agreeing that Sweet Lightning would not be served in any other restaurant, and one sweet deal was struck.

MTN DEW Sweet Lightning is the first exclusive beverage to be offered at KFC. For DEW, this is only the second time the brand has partnered with a quick-service restaurant – the first being the hugely successful Baja Blast which debuted at KFC's sister restaurant, Taco Bell, nearly a decade-and-a-half ago.

"Like KFC, MTN DEW is inspired by bold ideas and flavors, making this an authentic relationship from the start," said Nicole Portwood, vice president of marketing, MTN DEW. "To come together on an exclusive product – Sweet Lightning – is a thrill, and we look forward to delighting our customers' taste buds and pushing the envelope on creativity."

Sweet Lightning was developed in partnership with the food and beverage innovation experts at KFC and MTN DEW to create the perfect pairing for KFC's Original Recipe fried chicken. Original Recipe is a KFC brand staple, and the innovation experts for each brand wanted to create a beverage that is as unique as the fried chicken it was created to complement.

"With the addition of Sweet Lightning, we now have a drink that is as unique to KFC as the Colonel's secret blend of 11 herbs and spices," said Andrea Zahumensky, chief marketing officer, KFC U.S. "And like our world-famous fried chicken, Sweet Lightning will keep fans coming back for more."

MTN Dew's Sweet Lightning™ will be on permanent pour at KFC locations nationwide. The beverage joins a list of refreshing PepsiCo drinks already available at KFC.

About Sweet
Sweet is a fictional brand character created to personify the Sweet Lightning beverage and appear in marketing efforts for the DEW exclusive. His quick-but-smooth disposition was inspired by Colonel Sanders' feisty personality and drive to sell his world-famous fried chicken. As legend has it, MTN DEW Sweet Lightning is exclusive at KFC because Sweet dedicated all his efforts to landing a meeting with the Colonel, matching his passion for perfect fried chicken with a passion for the perfect pairing. 

Visit MountainDew.com/ for product information. Join the conversation on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram via @mountaindew and @KFC social channels.

About Mountain Dew 
MOUNTAIN DEW®, a product of PepsiCo North America Beverages, is the No. 1 flavored carbonated soft drink in the U.S. With its one-of-a-kind citrus taste, MOUNTAIN DEW exhilarates and quenches with every sip. In addition to the original MOUNTAIN DEW and DIET MOUNTAIN DEW®, the permanent DEW® product line includes MTN DEW ICE™, MTN DEW® KICKSTART™, MOUNTAIN DEW CODE RED®,  MOUNTAIN DEW PITCH BLACK®, MOUNTAIN DEW VOLTAGE®, MOUNTAIN DEW WHITE OUT® and MTN DEW® Label Series. For more information, check out www.mountaindew.com, www.facebook.com/mountaindew or follow on Twitter @mountaindew.

About PepsiCo 
PepsiCo products are enjoyed by consumers more than one billion times a day in more than 200 countries and territories around the world. PepsiCo generated more than $64 billion in net revenue in 2018, driven by a complementary food and beverage portfolio that includes Frito-Lay, Gatorade, Pepsi-Cola, Quaker and Tropicana. PepsiCo's product portfolio includes a wide range of enjoyable foods and beverages, including 22 brands that generate more than $1 billion each in estimated annual retail sales.

Guiding PepsiCo is our vision to Be the Global Leader in Convenient Foods and Beverages by Winning with Purpose. "Winning with Purpose" reflects our ambition to win sustainably in the marketplace and embed purpose into all aspects of the business.  For more information, visit www.pepsico.com.

About KFC
KFC Corporation, based in Louisville, Ky., is the world's most popular chicken restaurant chain. KFC specializes in Original Recipe®, Extra Crispy™, Kentucky Grilled Chicken® and Extra Crispy™ Tenders, Hot Wings®, KFC Famous Bowls®, Pot Pies, freshly hand prepared chicken sandwiches, biscuits and homestyle side items. There are more than 22,000 KFC restaurants in over 135 countries and territories around the world. KFC Corporation is a subsidiary of Yum! Brands, Inc., Louisville, Ky. (NYSE:  YUM). For more information, visit www.kfc.com. Follow KFC on Facebook (www.facebook.com/kfc), Twitter (www.twitter.com/kfc) and Instagram (www.instagram.com/KFC).

Media Contacts
Gina Judge, PepsiCo
O:  312.821.2621
E:  Gina.Judge1@pepsico.com

Lori Eberenz, KFC
O:  502-874.8100
E:  Lori.Eberenz@yum.com

Jack Barbour, The Brooklyn Brothers
O: 212.373.6078
E: Jack.barbour@thebrooklynbrothers.com

SOURCE PepsiCo

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