Pepsi TV Adverts
Whether you’re Team Pepsi or Team Coca-Cola, you can’t deny the former is one of the most beloved and iconic brands all around the world. Pepsi has sponsored countless big events, had celebrities as spokespeople, and been seen in television shows and movies for decades.
The brand has also created some of the most memorable and recognisable TV adverts over the years. Here we recount some of the best Pepsi TV adverts.
Cindy Crawford, 1992
Possibly one of the most iconic and famous TV ads of all time, Cindy Crawford’s 1992 spot for Pepsi made history.
In the ad, supermodel Crawford is seen walking slowly to a vending machine to pick up a nice cold can of Pepsi, watched by two awe-struck kids. It’s possibly the most 90s TV ad to ever exist, and was originally first aired during 1992’s Super Bowl.
Everything from the quintessential 90s wardrobe to Crawford’s Lamborghini to the kids’ expressions of pure disbelief make this an iconic advert, topped only by the closing line when one boy turns to the other to remark “is that a great new Pepsi can, or what?!”.
Super Bowl, 2018
Cindy Crawford’s 1992 advert was so iconic and successful for Pepsi that they decided to pay homage to it again for their 2018 Super Bowl advert.
The 2018 Pepsi TV ad is all about nostalgia and promoting the drink’s long-standing legacy and history. The voice over (Jimmy Fallon), explains how Pepsi was drunk by our parents, and has made history. It then introduces a model – Crawford’s son Presley Gerber – and his mother, in the same setting as the original 1992 ad. It also draws on several other famous Pepsi ads and famous figures, from Ray Charles to Britney Spears.
New Generation, 1983
Michael Jackson’s seminal hit Thriller was released in 1982, and the following year the superstar and his famous brothers inked a deal with Pepsi to become the faces of the brand. 1983’s advert, the first in an infamous series starring Jackson, is set to the tune of Billie Jean, with lyrics reworked to refer to a “whole new generation” of Pepsi drinkers.
As well as the signature moonwalk and finger snapping dance moves, this first Michael Jackson Pepsi advert also features a young Alfonso Ribeiro in the cast. Ribeiro would go on to find global fame in The Fresh Prince of Bel Air, where he had his own signature dance move!
Beckham v Casillas, 2003
This David Beckham Pepsi advert stars the England legend and his Manchester United teammates including Gary Neville. The Mancunian players somehow find themselves in a Wild West saloon, where they’re challenged to a duel by Spain’s World Cup winner Iker Casillas and his teammates.
Pepsi has a long history of football adverts, and this one is certainly star-studded, with cameos from names including Rivaldo, Solskjaer and a scene-stealing cameo from Real Madrid’s Roberto Carlos.
Uncle Drew, 2012
t’s not everyday a TV advert spawns a feature film, but 2012’s Uncle Drew Pepsi TV advert series became something of a cult hit.
The main character, a grey-haired man named Uncle Drew who complains about young basketballers’ ‘hippity hop’ and flashy shoes. After getting drafted into a pickup game – watched by plenty of Pepsi drinkers all around the court – Uncle Drew gets off to a rough start, seemingly unable to keep up with the “young bloods”. After warming up, however, Uncle Drew gets going – slam dunking, alley-ooping and making three pointers from every angle, as the crowd goes wild toasting him with Pepsi Max bottles. A reveal at the end of the advert shows that Uncle Drew is in fact NBA star Kyrie Irving in prosthetics.
After several episodes, written and directed by Irving and starring other basketball icons including Bill Russell, Ray Allen and Maya Moore, the Uncle Drew franchise even made it to the big screen with a 2018 movie.
Do you have a favourite Pepsi TV ad? Let us know below in the comments.