There’s nothing like enjoying a refreshing Pepsi during NFL Kickoff… while waiting for Megan Thee Stallion’s MTV VMAs debut … as you preorder tickets for Paramount Pictures’ Gladiator II. At least, that’s the message we’re getting from Pepsi’s new, loaded NFL ad. With a total audience of 27.5 million on NBC last year, the National Football League’s season opener ranked among the Top 10 broadcasts overall in 2023 and had wider reach than any non-NFL event.
Pepsi and Paramount Use Travis Kelce and Megan Thee Stallion to Conquer NFL Kickoff
So this year, Pepsi and Paramount are treating it like the Super Bowl with a three-minute sports marketing hybrid ad touting multiple Pepsi products, the NFL players who appear on CBS Sports broadcasts, the host of the Paramount-owned 2024 MTV VMAs Megan Thee Stallion, and the Paramount Pictures sequel to the half-billion-dollar, five-Oscar 2000 epic Gladiator. Oh, and it’s all a callback to a 20-year-old, three-minute “Roman Empire”-themed Super Bowl spot featuring Beyoncé, Britney Spears, Pink, Enrique Iglesias, and a cover of Queen’s “We Will Rock You.” “What started as a theatrical brand partnership evolved into one of the biggest promotional programs in our company’s history—spanning across theatrical marketing, CBS Sports, and the Paramount Global networks,” said Marc Weinstock, Paramount Pictures’ president of worldwide marketing and distribution. “A film of this scope calls for a truly epic campaign, and we can think of no more fitting collaboration than with one of the most iconic brands in the world.”
The Roman Remix
The epic spot starts innocuously enough, with White Lotus’ Jake Lacy and New Girl’s Lamorne Morris bro-ing down at a sports bar, talking about their stacked fantasy football lineups—Justin Jefferson, Derrick Henry, Josh Allen, Travis Kelce—and embracing modern temperance with some Pepsi Zero Sugar. The lid of their can turns into the Colosseum as their fantasy players take to the arena in gladiator gear, and “Empress Megan” drops the beat on a reimagined version of Queen’s classic. After defeating some CGI animals through teamwork, the NFL players toast with some Pepsi as Meg declares, “Let gameday begin!”
The NFL and 72andSunny launch a kickoff campaign that showcases U.S. sports audience while pushing for global gains. Inside the Campaign: NFL Kickoff Ads Want More People to Join the Huddle The Colosseum then transforms into the Buffalo Bills’ football stadium (which looks cold but will be 81 degrees on NFL Kickoff day) as the season begins. Kelce delivers the last line to a perplexed Lacy and Morris, with some credit due to Russell Crowe: “Are you not entertained?!” “Our partnership with Travis has always been built on authenticity,” said Melissa Duhaime, Pepsico’s head of sports marketing, who noted that Kelce’s stated favorite, Wild Cherry Pepsi, features prominently in the spot. “Having worked closely with Travis for years, we can say with certainty that his genuine love for Pepsi made our collaborations effortless.”
Fandom beyond football The campaign’s epic reach across multiple companies and platforms made it attractive not only to Kelce but to the ad’s other talent as well. Three-time Grammy winner Megan Thee Stallion, for instance, launches the spot’s “We Will Rock You (Megan Thee Stallion Version)” across all major music streaming platforms starting Sept. 5 before hosting the VMAs on Sept. 11 at UBS Arena on Long Island. In-store displays in both English and Spanish follow. “I wasn’t sure if we were going to do a Pepsi campaign,” said Aaron Eanes, Kelce’s longtime manager and president of A&A Management. “But when you look at the spot that they did, and you look at how he’s featured on that spot, it’s one of those things where it was a campaign that was just too good to pass up because of how iconic it is.” Derrick Henry, Josh Allen, Justin Jefferson and Travis Kelce dress as gladiators behind a cooler of Pepsi products From left, Derrick Henry, Josh Allen, Justin Jefferson and Travis Kelce enter the arena for Pepsi.
Pepsi Meanwhile, the Paul Mescal-led Gladiator II gets a huge push throughout the campaign, with Pepsi creating a “My Roman Empire” portrait generator tool online to let fans customize selfies and offering 16-ounce talking cans of Pepsi with quotes from the commercial’s talent.
Pepsi also partnered with Fandango, offering fans a $10 Fandango movie reward for buying $20 in Pepsi products. “Bringing the epic world of Gladiator II to life in a modern, dynamic way through this Pepsi campaign was incredibly exciting,” said Jake Scott. “We wanted to create a visual spectacle that captured the energy and intensity of the sport while also paying homage to the iconic film and the original Pepsi campaign.”
The article appeared on Adweek Sept. 5, 2024 – https://www.adweek.com/brand-marketing/pepsi-paramount-travis-kelce-megan-thee-stallion-nfl/#
