News, ideas & conversations for communicators worldwide
 

« Of bailouts and loans | Main | The PR campaign that dominated Cannes »

Michael Jackson and the best Pepsi commercial ever?

I don’t know how much Pepsi paid Michael Jackson to star in this video, but it was worth every last penny.


Comments (10)

Anonymous:

MJ did not kick off the "Generation" for Pepsi. Pepsi has built its brand around the youth generation since the 1960s when it targeted Baby Boomers by telling them that "You are the Pepsi Generation." Ever since, every cohort of 16-24-year olds become the latest Pepsi generation. What Pepsi has become very good at is tapping the values - if you want to call them that - of the current generation and positioning the brand as standing for youth. Because the youth market loves rebellion, iconoclasts and rejects the status quo (always has), young people always come away believing that Pepsi was their generation's soda. Tie this to the current flap over the Pepsi "patriotic" can that features the Pledge of Allegiance sans "under God." In this day and age, Pepsi knew exactly what it was doing and they knew they'd get headlines and appeal to those crazy, rebellions teens and college students again.

Katy:

So do you think that Pepsi should do an "In Memoriam" ad for MJ? Since he kicked off the generation...

Hey Michael,

You might get a kick out of my post yesterday:

http://theflack.blogspot.com/2009/06/wiz.html

All best,

Peter

Sara:

If memory serves, and if "I love the '80s" specials can be trusted, Alfonso Ribeiro (of Fresh Prince fame) played the young MJ fan.

c:

dawn - michael never fit the bill of a pedophile. after being examined by psychiatrists it was concluded that he was just a regressed 10-year-old boy whose notion of childhood norms was terribly misinformed. the man JUST passed on - you could show a bit more compassion.

on another note, this commercial kicks butt! :) i read that pepsi was forever changed by this. this and one word: generation.

Sarah:

Can anyone name Jackson's mini-me in this commercial? It was a young Alfonso Ribiero, who starred with "Ricky" Schroder on Silver Spoons, and later played Carlton on Fresh Prince of Bel Air. Blast from the past!

dawn:

um, can I just remind folks that this guy was a flippin' pedophile?!? A hugely talented one, but a pedophile nonetheless. Normal grown men don't sleep with little boys. Ick.

Miss MO:

OMG -- I DON'T remember ever seeing this -- where was I? Probably running after 2 toddlers... However I must snot that those adorable extras must have been candidates for him to bring home for a snort of Jesus Juice ...

Aisha:

I liked all of the Pepsi ones with Michael Jackson including this one, but my favorite one is the I'll Be There. It is so ssad what happened to Michael. His music was truly a gift to the world that he didn't have to share with anyone. My prayers go out to his family and friends.

OMG - I remember this commercial! It is fabulous...RIP MJ.

Post a comment

Important:
to protect against spam you must enter the letter "r" in the box.
(The comment will be posted ONLY when the safety letter is entered.)

About

This page contains a single entry from the blog posted on June 26, 2009 2:36 PM .

The previous post in this blog was Of bailouts and loans .

The next post in this blog is The PR campaign that dominated Cannes .

Many more can be found on the main index page or by looking through the archives.


Share |
Comment Feed Subscribe to this blog's feed
[What is this?]

Recent Responses

Gerry McCusker
The top 10 PR blunders of 2009, according to Fineman PR
Good list, tho a bit US-centric. The world is full of unmitigated PR gaffes; Renault's F1 race fixing; UK PM Gordon Brow...
read all | post a response

Michael Sebastian
Maybe he's mindful of H1N1: The difference between Barack Obama and Gordon Brown
Good to know. Thank you. ...
read all | post a response

FEATURED

Blogger Bios

About

Tell us how you manage unrealistic expectations, meet reporter needs, churn out news when there is none, deal with a client you can't stand, and what you say to people that slam PR. Or anything else that's on your mind.

Ragan Blogs

Trail Mix
- Patrick Williams


The Pulse
- Josh McColough


Coaching Success
- BRODY Professional Development


Other Blogs

- Shines a brighter light on the subtle roles played by public relations
- A gathering place for professional communicators
- Blogging at the intersection of communication and technology
- Ranting and raving about news, techniques, and development in the world of PR research and evaluation.

PR Newser

- PRNewser is a blog about Public Relations

- The latest and most effective strategies to market your business.

- Business communications for the real world

- The place at the intersection of business, communication and technology.
- Les Potter blogs about Strategic Communication and Public Relations

- Social Network for PR Students, Faculty, and Practitioners

- An award-winning public relations resource

- Conversations about Social Media and Marketing

- What would the LEAN Communicator do?

- educational resource for public relations with hundreds of articles to browse on various PR topics

Powered by
Movable Type 3.33

Home | Internal Communication | Public Relations | Speechwriting | Web Content | Government Communication | Tips & Tactics | Hot Topics | Back to Top
MyRagan | MyManageresNetwork | MyRaganTV | Blogs | Podcasts | Jobs | Forums | eNewsletters
About Us | Copyright 2007 Ragan Communications, Inc. | Privacy Policy | Search | FAQ | Contact Us | Store | RSS RSS | Widgets | Site Map