In Pepsi’s 30-second Super Bowl ad, the soft drink takes a shot at Coca-Cola while promoting its own Zero Sugar variant.
The ad from Goodby, Silverstein & Partners stars Missy Elliott and H.E.R. singing a version of the Rolling Stones’ classic song “Paint It Black” while shifting from a red-tinted world with generic cola cans—that are clear swipe at Coke—to a black one. (The ad is for Pepsi Zero Sugar’s new matte black cans).
Pepsi had revealed the singers would star in its Super Bowl spot in the weeks leading up to the game, airing a brief teaser during the Grammy Awards.
The soft drink’s third-quarter spot wasn’t the only Super Bowl nod for a sugar-free soda in PepsiCo’s lineup, though. Mtn Dew’s new Zero Sugar variety also got a second-quarter plug with an ad spoof of “The Shining'' starring Bryan Cranston, who touts that the beverage is just as good as the original… or maybe even better.
Sunday’s 49ers-Chiefs game also marked one of the first nationwide uses of Pepsi’s new tagline, “That’s What I Like,” which made its debut in January.
BRAND: Pepsi
AGENCY: Goodby, Silverstein & Partners
QUARTER AIRED: Q3
SUPER BOWL: LIV
YEAR: 2020