Pepsi and BBDO followed up their youth-and-music-centric Pepsi Twist ad from 2003 ("The Osbournes") with this mock warning against music piracy. Eventually they lighten the mood by promising 100 million free (but legal) downloads from Apple's iTunes.
Of Pepsi's four commercials in Super Bowl XXXVIII, "I Fought the Law" was the favorite of New York Times ad columnist Stuart Elliott:
The standout was a cheeky spot, introducing a promotion co-sponsored by the iTunes division of Apple Computer, that smartly teased the recording industry for suing teenagers for illegal file sharing.
Sixteen of the miscreants appeared in the commercial, identified with tongue-in-cheek labels like ''Incriminated,'' ''Accused'' and ''Busted,'' as the soundtrack played ''I Fought the Law (and the Law Won).''
Pepsi and Apple would repeat their music giveaway in the following Super Bowl with "Bottle Songs." In that game, however, the notorious (if transformed) Napster would also make a play ("Do the Math").
BRAND: Pepsi
YEAR: 2004
AGENCY: BBDO
SUPERBOWL: XXXVIII