Rivalry makes for amazing marketing. Many of the world’s best campaigns come out of bitter rivalry between two companies as they spur each other on to greater creative heights. Here are just a few examples.

Pepsi and Coke’s rivalry even has its own name: The Cola Wars. For decades they’ve tried to out-market one another. Since 1975 Pepsi’s run the Pepsi Challenge, claiming that Americans prefer Pepsi in blind taste tests. Shockingly, Coke’s similar campaign found that Americans prefer Coke. Both companies sent their drinks into space in 1985. When Pepsi achieved success in the 90’s with loyalty program Pepsi Stuff, Coke launched Coke Rewards. At one point both companies had contracts with iTunes allowing drinkers to buy songs using their points. Funnily enough, Coke and Pepsi are widely acknowledged to taste very similar. Consumers choose which brand they prefer rather than which drink, leading the two companies to carve out different brand identities. Coke’s ads tend to be evocative and emotional, like their iconic Christmas ads. By contrast, Pepsi’s known for its youthful advertising featuring the celebrities du jour, sometimes with the catchphrase “The Choice of a new Generation.” As a result, Pepsi’s ads tend to be more ‘of the moment’ but also date faster – which may explain their absence from all those ‘best campaigns of all time’ lists.

British Airways and Virgin are the two major British airlines with a longstanding rivalry that occasionally spills over into the courts. Like Coke and Pepsi they pour millions into building brand identities. Virgin is ‘the sexy one,’ deploying innuendo and tongue-in-cheek ads like this, “Still Red Hot.” By contrast, British Airways’ ongoing rebrand plays up its aviation heritage and traditional British appeal. A little over a month ago the airlines launched high profile ad campaigns within two weeks of each other, each conveying a very different brand message. British Airways’ ad, which we’ve written about before, is historic and atmospheric. Virgin’s ad is styled after the opening sequence to a Bond movie, with abstract silhouettes and eye candy. The catchphrase “Your Airline’s either got it or it hasn’t” makes a subtle reference to the decidedly unsexy BA.

A Mac or a PC? Apple and Microsoft targeted each other obliquely with ‘I’m a Mac/I’m a PC’ campaigns a few years ago. Apple started it with a series of short video ads featuring two men representing a computer. The Mac was shown as intuitive and user-friendly, the PC clunky and clumsy. The ads were hilarious, this one featured Gisele Bundchen and then a man in drag dressed just like her. Microsoft hit back with ads like this, carrying the tagline ‘I’m a PC, and Windows 7 was my idea.’ It showed PC users as ordinary people, later hiring celebrities to appear in its print ads. Of course, neither campaign ever mentioned the names “Apple” or “Microsoft” but they were clearly aimed at the opposition.

These campaigns all have one thing in common: one-upmanship. Because these brands are in direct competition they get locked into marketing battles, trying to outdo each other’s last campaign. Of course, this gets expensive. Sound familiar? Maybe the enemy’s just released a great new Christmas campaign and you’re feeling threatened as well as financially squeezed. We can get you a stunning campaign within five to seven days, at 30% less than old-fashioned agencies. If you need a leg-up in the arms race you have no alternative. Brief the Exchange.