5 of the best Pepsi Super Bowl ads, from Britney Spears to Robert Palmer
After a decade of sponsoring the Super Bowl halftime show, Pepsi announced this week that it will step away from backing the stellar entertainment break. It will, however, remain the lead soft drink brand for the NFL.
What's your fav Pepsi Super Bowl ad of all time? / pepsi
The shock move comes after last year’s star-studded performance by Dr Dre, Snoop Dogg, Eminem, 50 Cent, Mary J Blige and Kendrick Lamar in Los Angeles attracted an audience of over 103 million viewers.
For brands, the Super Bowl is a mammoth occasion and the ad campaigns are almost as talked about as the game itself. Over the years, Pepsi has produced some truly standout spots that aired during the match. We’re taking a look at five of the best here.
Britney Spears, 2002
90s pop princess Britney Spears showed off her talents in this memorable Pepsi ad. In the spot, the American singer adopts the guise of a retro 50s-style cafe goer, a 60s California surfer, as well as an androgynous character from the 80s.
The commercial plays on the evolving fashion styles from each era, with the constant being the soft drink.
Spears has a long-running history with the brand and has starred in many of its ads, alongside fellow musicians like Beyonce and Pink, throughout her career.
Cindy Crawford, 1992
In one of the most memorable and iconic Pepsi ads, supermodel Cindy Crawford used her beauty and charm to entice thirsty viewers.
The commercial sees Crawford step out of a red Lamborghini in a white swimsuit and denim shorts before making her way over to a vending machine. Two young boys look on in awe as she sips the cool beverage. In a funny twist, one of the youngsters quips: ’Is that a great new Pepsi can or what?’
It was an instant classic and, a decade on, the model remade the spot, but this time she was climbing out of an SUV with her two kids in the back seat.
Spice Girls, 1997
Any young girl that grew up in the 90s probably had the Spice Girls’ Pepsi ads on their wall at some point.
Through creative agency AMV BBDO, the group signed an endorsement deal with the brand in early 1997 that consisted of the release of an exclusive single, TV commercials, as well as on-can and bottle promotions.
This iconic commercial featured the song ’Move Over’, with Baby, Scary, Posh, Sporty and Ginger energetically dancing in front of a Pepsi backdrop in their recognizable platform boots and fabulous outfits - all while holding Pepsi cans, of course.
Robert Palmer, 1989
Robert Palmer’s Simply Irresistible was one of the breakout hits of that decade, thanks in no small part to the music video that saw the singer backed by a band of beautiful women. With it he won the 1988 Grammy for best male rock vocal performance.
So it was a massive coup for Pepsi when he recreated the video for its 1989 Super Bowl ad. The spot was directed by famed British fashion photographer Terence Donovan.
David Bowie and Tina Turner, 1985
Bowie’s single Modern Love provides an upbeat soundtrack to this retro Pepsi ad, with the recognizable voice of Tina Turner taking it to cult status.
With a futuristic style and almost prophetic storyline, Bowie plays a scientist who somehow prints a 3D version of Turner and the two legends proceed to dance around a Pepsi sign.
It’s kind of a bonkers and truly 80s in its style, but that’s what makes it great.
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