The Reel 360 team has fond memories of many a celebrity-driven Pepsi Super Bowl spot.
Remember Cindy? Britney? Beyonce?
We won’t talk about Michael. No.
Now we can add comedian/actor Steve Carrell and performers Lil Jon and Cardi B to that list.
While Coke plans to offer warm-and-fuzzy pop art on Super Bowl Sunday, the soda company’s forever-rival, Pepsi, has opted to go in a very different direction with its game day ad.
The brand’s highly anticipated in-game advertisement, “More Than OK,” stars Academy Award-nominated and Golden Globe Award-winner Steve Carell, Grammy Award-nominated artist Cardi B and Grammy Award-winner Lil Jon.
Both the :60-second online video and :30-second spot begin with a woman in a diner ordering a Coke, and the waiter saying, “Is Pepsi okay?” Carell, in perfect Michael Scott (The Office) then whips around from the next booth and expresses his shock at the use of the word “okay” in that sentence. “Are puppies okay?” he asks the waiter.
“Is a shooting star okay? Is the laughter of a small child okay?” The Office star then points to Lil Jon at the counter, who yells “Okayyy.” Cardi B then enters the restaurant yelling “Okurrrr” and grabs a can. The ad ends with Carell trying to imitate Cardi B, before remarking, “I’ve got to come up with my own catchphrase.” Watch the :60-second version below:
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“Every day, there are millions of people who enjoy Pepsi – people who love this brand – yet they continue to be asked ‘Is Pepsi OK?,'” said Todd Kaplan, Vice President of Marketing, Pepsi. He adds, “We felt that it was time to address this question head-on, by celebrating our fans, our valued restaurant partners, and our core consumers by unapologetically letting everyone know that Pepsi is way more than OK.”
Here is the :30-second version:
The new big game entry is far more entertaining than last year’s nostalgia-fest featuring Cindy Crawford, and it feels just a bit edgy, thanks to the call-out of Coke at the start of the clip and the playful acknowledgment of the brand’s status as America’s second-favorite soda. There were also a series of playful teasers:
The brand will also paint Atlanta (rival Coke’s hometown) “blue” with bold outdoor advertising, custom packages, epic celebrations and a number of other surprises.
As previously announced, Pepsi will once again present the Pepsi Super Bowl LIII Halftime Show featuring three-time Grammy Award-winning multiplatinum band Maroon 5, Grammy Award-nominated rapper Travis Scott, and Atlanta native Big Boi.
In the 10 seconds before the Super Bowl LIII Halftime Show, Pepsi will share an unforgettable lead-in to kick off the performance.
Source: Pepsi
