Pepsi famously worked with Michael Jackson to promote its soft drinks over the years. Pepsi recently promoted the 25th anniversary of Bad’s release with a concert late August with Billboard and singer Ne-Yo.
Pepsi famously sponsored Jackson’s Bad world tour back in 1988, following the successful “New Generation” ads of 1983 and the incident where Jackson’s hair was accidentally set on fire during the filming of a Pepsi commercial. Now they are airing a 15-second ad spot to continue its 25th anniversary tribute to Bad.
Significantly, the BAD25 deluxe collectors’ edition album/DVD box set is set to release on September 18. Expect to see the new ad with its kaleidoscope of images of Michael dancing during BET’s two-hour special, BAD25: The Short Films of Michael Jackson.
Nothing equals this ad that rolled out in China earlier this year, however, where the visuals are bombastic and surreal. Pepsi, the Jackson Estate, and Sony ensure that the legend of Michael Jackson continues, making him into an even bigger marketing success in death than he even was in life.
