Lipton Iced Tea, part of the Pepsi Lipton Tea partnership, which is a joint venture between Purchase, N.Y.-based PepsiCo Inc. and London-based Unilever, launched the first video in a three-part comedic film series produced in partnership with actress Kristen Bell, who for the first time stepped behind the camera to serve as creative director.

In this role, Bell helped bring to life Lipton's new brand personalities — Carl and Stu — two Lipton Iced Tea deliverymen who embody the playful and thoughtful sides of "Be More Tea," the brand's philosophy that inspires people to break out of autopilot and embrace all of life's possibilities, the company explains.

The series follows Carl and Stu through a variety of humorous situations as they take on people's "have-to-do” lists, giving them extra time for their "want-to-do” lists. Lipton is taking the concept a step further with the "Win an Extra SUNday" promotion, giving consumers across the country a chance to have their own schedules cleared of daily chores so that they can take on the activities they've been wanting to do.

Serving as creative director allowed Bell to explore the artistic side of production and help shape the film series' message of positivity, the company notes.

"In the series, Carl and Stu remind us that we need to break out of our routines and embrace positivity and our passions in life," Bell said in a statement. "I'm proud I could bring my creative point-of-view and a little sense of humor to this project."

All videos will be posted to www.bemoretea.tumblr.com.

"Kristen was so invested and involved with the program from the beginning, helping to develop Carl and Stu's personalities, contributing to video scripts, and bringing 'Win an Extra SUNday' to life for consumers," said Linda Bethea, senior director of marketing for the Pepsi Lipton Partnership, in a statement. "Lipton Iced Tea wants to help revitalize fans and encourage them to embrace all of life's possibilities, and Kristen really helped bring this concept to life in each video."

The "Win an Extra SUNday" promotion will run from May 16 to Sept. 6. To enter, consumers should visit www.liptonsunday.com and enter codes found under caps of specially marked Lipton bottled iced tea varieties, including Peach Iced Tea and Diet Green Tea with Citrus. Instant winners will earn minutes, which count toward having Lipton complete a task on their “have-to-do” lists, such as researching airfare and vacation spots online, mowing the lawn or doing laundry.

Lipton fans also can join the discussion on Twitter or Instagram with @Lipton using the hashtag #ExtraSUNday.