The Baltimore Ravens visit the reigning champion Kansas City Chiefs at 8:20 ET tonight on NBC, kicking off another season of NFL football. And with about 16 million fans tuning in to the average regular-season game, the NFL captivates audiences like few other properties.
Naturally, it’s bringing out the best in advertisers, who are taking the field with them. As detailed in Ad Age’s football marketing blog, there’s already been a blitz of ad activity.
Today, one of the newest entrants is Pepsi. The soft drink brand’s three-minute “Gladiator II”-style star-filled epic blends music, NFL star power and—for fans of ad history—a bit of nostalgia.
Below, a look at five NFL campaigns, including Pepsi’s fresh take, that look ready for kickoff.