This brand collaboration between Pepsi and several famous artists such as Britney Spears, Beyoncé, Pink, and Enrique Iglesias resulted in a cover of Queen's classic song "We Will Rock You," which was a huge hit for the already famous beverage brand.
In this campaign, they sought to leverage the cultural impact and influence that these celebrities have on young audiences, with the aim of associating the Pepsi brand with values such as fun, energy, and creativity, which they achieved when they made this commercial.
In addition, the campaign uses an attractive aesthetic set in the Roman Colosseum, where Enrique Iglesias plays the emperor and Britney Spears, Beyoncé, and Pink are gladiators who urge the audience to sing along to Queen's song.
In this piece, dating from 2004, singers Britney Spears, Beyoncé, and Pink, transformed for the occasion into gladiators, are tasked with jumping into the arena to the delight of an emperor played by Enrique Iglesias, although it is true that the course of events takes an unexpected turn.
Pepsi hit the nail on the head.
This commercial is such a good idea that, despite the passage of time, it has aged well to the present day thanks to the appearance of a cast of artists who were at the top of the charts at the time.
And Pepsi got it right, since the staging of so many high-potential artists like them continues to be a mainstay in advertising, and this Pepsi commercial proves it, because it continues to appear on the internet and other platforms, showing that it went down very well with the public.
The three iconic singers of the moment played Roman gladiators who, moments before entertaining their Caesar, played by the Spaniard, decide to rebel. The two members of the British band, meanwhile, appear as part of the audience in the Roman circus.
Pepsi
Pepsi makes history with its commercial
The piece was directed by Indian filmmaker Tarsem Singh, now famous for his work in the film industry (The Cell,The Fall), and premiered in the ultimate venue for major commercials: the Super Bowl. A year later, it starred in one of the most memorable commercials of all time, rubbing shoulders with great women who had already made their mark on the world.
It was in 2004 when Pepsi Cola decided to create a power girl group consisting of Beyoncé, P!nk, and Britney Spears, but Queen also participated. That year, the brand was breaking taboos by signing various musical icons.
As if it were ancient Rome, Iglesias appears as a malevolent emperor inside a coliseum, who, for his amusement, will watch gladiators fight to the death, accompanied, of course, by a generous supply of drinks chilled with ice.
The members of Queen appear among the audience, and the vibrations from the music cause the trunk of soft drinks to fall and knock Iglesias off his throne into the arena. Various press reports indicate that the commercial cost more than $30 million, making it one of the most expensive in history.
Pepsi
Enrique, Britney, Pink, Beyoncé
Although the original idea was for it to be released during the Super Bowl, this did not happen and it came out later, but it was so spectacular that it left an indelible mark on the minds of Pepsi consumers, so much so that today this commercial remains one of the most iconic ever.
