Pepsi Launches Its New Star-Studded NFL Campaign Influenced By 'Gladiator II'

Pepsi celebrates the beginning of the 2024 NFL season and the debut of "Gladiator II" with a fresh initiative called "Make Your Gameday Epic."

Pepsi’s "Make Your Gameday Epic," campaign will transport NFL superstars, pop music, and television to a world inspired by "Gladiator II," the sequel by Ridley Scott, which is set to release on November 22.

The latest commercial opens with a conversation between two individuals chatting about their fantasy football teams at a restaurant. One person selects Justin Jefferson and Travis Kelce to roast, while the other chooses Derrick Henry and Josh Allen.

Both of them ordered a Pepsi, and the famous song "We Will Rock You" starts to play. Next, the camera moves inside the Pepsi can, where you can see Kelce, Allen, Jefferson, and Henry dressed as Roman gladiators. The football quartet fends off a barrage of lions before coming face-to-face with the Emperor.

The advertisement focuses on the highlights of the four players showcased. Megan Thee Stallion released the lions on the football players while rapping over the iconic Queen beat. Henry stiff-arms a lion into the dirt, and Allen uses his legs to escape from another lion that then falls into a separate pit. Jefferson hits the Griddy after he and Kelce lock some lions in a cage after they put their strength together to knock down a pillar.?

Megan Thee Stallion steps down from her seat of power to confront the victorious NFL players, but she soon joins them in enjoying a Pepsi and celebrating their victory. The camera cuts back to the bar, where Kelce questions the duo, "Are you not entertained?" from the TV screen, which is a reference to a famous line from the original "Gladiator."

The marketing head of Pepsi also said that consumers are going to see this campaign everywhere they shop to make sure that everyone is getting ready for gameday with football, food, and ice-cold Pepsi.

Pepsi has also planned several digital and in-person activities. A tool called “My Roman Empire” allows consumers to turn their selfies into gladiator or Roman royalty portraits, while limited-edition 16-ounce cans, available via sweepstakes, bring on-set content to life via augmented reality. The promotion consists of in-store displays in English and Spanish, along with a deal where customers receive a $10 Fandango movie reward for purchasing $20 of Pepsi products.

By blending pop culture elements and augmented reality, Pepsi has created a campaign that is both entertaining and engaging which will in turn drive brand loyalty and sales.