Pepsi®, a pioneer of the concept of music video commercials, is continuing its celebration of its 125th birthday and star-studded history by reviving some of the brand’s most famed music video-styled spots. Re-released versions of archival commercials pay tribute to music legends Madonna, Britney Spears, Tina Turner, Robert Palmer, and Ray Charles, each of whom played a major role in shaping Pepsi’s legacy as one of the first brands in advertising history to release music video spots. For the first time in decades, versions of the iconic Madonna and Spears spots returned to national television during the 2023 MTV Video Music Awards on September 12.
The original Pepsi music TV spots of Madonna’s “Like A Prayer” and Spears’ “The Joy of Cola” have not aired on national television in full since their original runs, over 30 and 20 years ago, respectively. Pepsi has a long history at the VMAs, showing up consistently at the show for decades.
Robert Palmer’s 1989 commercial featured his 1988 hit “Simply Irresistible,” one of a string of breakout singles for the English singer and songwriter.
Tina Turner’s unmistakable voice was heard around the globe in her “Taste For Pepsi” commercial in 1986, when the “Queen of Rock ‘n’ Roll” was at the height of her solo career.
Dubbed in the early millennium as the “Princess of Pop,” Britney Spears, at age 19, was well on her way to becoming one of the biggest pop stars in the world when she starred in “The Joy of Cola” in 2001.
Ray Charles was in his early ’60s when he starred in “The Right One Baby” in 1991 to deliver the popular catch phrase “you got the right one baby.”
Madonna created a hit single ahead of her quadruple platinum album Like a Prayer which inspired her 1989 music video commercial with Pepsi.
A few days after the clips returned to YouTube and aired on the 2023 VMAs, Madonna took to social media.
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Related: Our story on perhaps the most memorable of all Pepsi music ads
