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.”
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.”
