Pepsi: Gift It Forward: A Cardi Carol by VaynerMedia

Pepsi has unveiled a Christmas ad completely antithetical to Coca-Cola’s wholesome winter imagery as it looks to promote the act of giving cash during the holidays with ‘Gift it Forward with Pepsi’.

The flagship ad stars rapper Cardi B as a badass Santa, who delivers money to the world on Christmas night in a flying car. The spot begins with an origin story: when Cardi was young, the Pepsi lore goes, she was too naughty for Santa’s delivery.

This led her to vow to launch a rival festive delivery service with cash as her load rather than presents. A flash forward to the future sees her manning ‘Cardi’s Twerk Shop’, where elves literally turn cans of Pepsi into cash.

The two-minute film will be cut down to a 30-second TV commercial, which will first air on Thanksgiving (28 November). It kicks off a comprehensive engagement platform that will give Pepsi drinkers the chance to win cold hard cash.