Pepsi is bringing "Joy of Pepsi" ba, ba, ba, ba back. A spot debuting during tonight's episode of Fox's "Empire" includes a remake of an old spot in the classic campaign, which includes the sung phrase "Ba Ba Ba Ba Ba." The mnemonic was last widely used in a "Joy of Pepsi" ad starring Britney Spears that ran in 2001. But Pepsi subtly brought the saying back earlier this year at the end of ads for its ongoing "Live for Now" campaign.
The original campaign, called "The Joy of Cola," launched in 1999 and featured child actress Hallie Eisenberg. BBDO, New York was the agency. The new spot closely resembles this old Pepsi ad below that includes a radio DJ.
In the new spot (at top), the voiceover is supplied by Ted Williams, a formerly homeless man from Columbus, Ohio who became an overnight media sensation in 2011 after a local newspaper posted a video of him showing off his golden pipes. In the wake of his stardom, Kraft Macaroni & Cheese signed him up to provide a voiceover for ads.