PepsiCo’s Dew brand commits to New Orleans

PepsiCo’s Mountain Dew executives and recording artist Lil Wayne this week opened a new skate park in New Orleans made possible by funding from the beverage brand.

The skate park is located in the city’s Ninth Ward, a region that gained infamy following devastating flooding after Hurricane Katrina in 2005. The skate park is a key component of a social media, brand building initiative known as DEWeezy that was announced in March of this year and offers Dew fans an opportunity to create a television commercial featuring Lil Wayne.

"We're very excited to be a part of the rejuvenation of the Ninth Ward community," said Brett O'Brien, Mountain Dew's VP of Marketing. "This is a great way for local residents to connect, challenge themselves and ultimately enjoy their surroundings even more - while celebrating skate culture."

The skate park is intended to serve as a New Orleans destination for action sports lifestyle enthusiasts and was designed and built by California Skateparks and landscape architect Tim Duggan of Brad Pitt's Make It Right Foundation. The eco-friendly skatepark was designed to mirror the landscape of the Lower Ninth Ward. The main floor of the indoor park represents a portion of the street grid around The Village, with a line down the center representing Caffin Avenue.　Connecting bank and quarter pipe end pieces at either end of the park represent the Mississippi River and the Bayou Bienvenue.

The park's solar power array was designed and built by Make It Right Solar, and pervious concrete was installed to prevent flooding. Well-known New Orleans artist, Lionel Milton, was commissioned to paint a mural inside the park.