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The sponsorship deal between Pepsi and music legend Michael Jackson was inked in 1983, during a time of geopolitical tensions and the mainstreamization of pop music.
Pepsi and Jackson's $5 million partnership was a paradigm shift in how brands worked with celebrities.
Our modern endorsement landscape probably can be traced back to this moment.
In 1983, the endorsement deal signed between Pepsi and Michael Jackson was inked on paper.
This was the largest endorsement deal to that date.
However, Pepsi's audacious $5 million contract with Jackson to promote its sugary soft drink set the stage for celebrity music endorsements becoming commonplace.
Examining the context of the early 1980s, a $5 million compensation simply to tape some commercials and lend one's image to a brand was an absolutely mammoth amount.
To provide perspective, just a decade prior, legendary athlete O.J. Simpson had only managed to garner $400,000 annually to endorse Hertz rental cars.
Jackson's deal with Pepsi blew previous music endorsements out of the water in terms of scope and of course pay.
Jackson's cross-generational and global appeal made him a perfect candidate to be the face of Pepsi's youth-oriented marketing.
When Jackson starred in Pepsi's infamous "New Generation" commercial in the 1980s—it featured him dancing and singing his hit "Billie Jean”.
It positioned Pepsi as the soda of choice for younger consumers.
Jackson had mass appeal across demographics, from teens to adults who had admired him since his Jackson 5 days—making him the perfect celebrity for this campaign.
The runaway success of the Jackson-led commercial introduced the term "Pepsi Generation" into the mainstream lexicon as a label defining their loyal young consumer base.
It became deeply embedded within popular culture through its frequent rotation on international airwaves and Jackson's ability to capture public imagination.
The endorsement would also build the boilerplate for future celebrity co-branding campaigns.
In many ways, it set the precedent for integrating entertainment's hottest stars within branded content to capture public attention. The "Pepsi Generation'' may have referred specifically to their customers, but in reality, it was Jackson who shone the spotlight on them.
The filming of Michael Jackson's iconic "New Generation" Pepsi commercial nearly took a tragic turn when a pyrotechnics stunt went bad.
Chaos and injury ensued.
During an intricate sequence featuring cascading sparks, a mechanical failure triggered a dangerous blast and fire instead, blowing Jackson backwards and setting his hair ablaze.
Several other extras and crew faced injuries including burns in the explosion's wake as well.
Ironically, a commercial branded around youth, energy and pushing boundaries nearly resulted in catastrophe.
Yet after treating Jackson's wounds and surveying the damage, the global ad campaign pressed on and proceeded to tremendous fanfare worldwide.
Viewers tuned into the news, unaware of the near-disaster.
The New Generation commercial delivered global exposure that Pepsi had never had.
The universal appeal of Jackson's electrifying performance translated across continents, airing in over 180 countries worldwide. Estimates placed the ad's cumulative viewership at a jaw-dropping 500 million people.
The numbers underscored Jackson's rare echelon of international superstardom during that era, allowing Pepsi to ride the coattails of his fame to massively expand its reach.
Prior to Jackson's involvement, Pepsi played second fiddle to rival Coca Cola overseas.
Yet airing a Pepsi commercial starring perhaps the most famous entertainer on Earth at the time offered a quick shortcut to gain ground globally.
It rapidly elevated public perception of Pepsi abroad as a modern, stylish brand in touch with global pop culture, a position that benefitted the company's market share and growth in the ensuing years.
Jackson's global magnetism essentially helped Pepsi narrow the gap, bringing the brand to parts of the world it had previously struggled to penetrate.
Michael Jackson's partnership with Pepsi was more than an endorsement, he was also put to use in many different creative ways.
As part of Jackson's landmark deal with the soft drink giant in the 1980s, his visibility within the Pepsi brand expanded to high-profile public appearances, splashing his likeness on packaging and merchandise, and even penning a brand-centric musical jingle.
Understanding Jackson's innate showmanship makes this broad integration entirely fitting. His concert performances for Pepsi shareholders and distributors delivered lavish productions bursting with costume changes and choreography for the captive corporate audiences.
Jackson merchandise also lined store shelves, as his iconic image graced Pepsi bottles and cans to boost brand identity. Showing his creative dedication towards this sponsorship, Jackson also authored an original Pepsi anthem titled "Pepsi Generation."
While artists today commonly write songs incorporating the products backing them, such music industry cross-promotion was largely pioneering in Jackson's era.
Through these diverse Pepsi touchpoints, the campaign ensured maximum impact and exposure by bringing Jackson's Vitality to multiple consumer touchpoints.
More than just a passive figurehead, Jackson dove into the partnership headfirst, blurring the lines between entertainment and sponsorship.
Even after Michael Jackson's official sponsorship deal with Pepsi dissolved, his larger-than-life aura stayed indelibly intertwined with the soda brand in the cultural imagination for decades hence.
Such was the power of the pop legend's paradigm-shifting endorsement era. Though contracts eventually expire, the visions of Jackson as Pepsi's dynamo pitching man—all dazzling moves and beaming smiles—endured through the years.
Seeking to capitalize on public nostalgia, Pepsi proceeded to launch special edition can designs emblazoned with Jackson's image, keeping his memory stirring with each sip.
The company also launched a series of revival commercials, after the King of Pop had died.
From a business standpoint, this loyalty to celebrating Jackson's role as brand ambassador only bolstered market dominance over key competitors.
But more profoundly, it cemented the larger-than-life musician's legacy as a trailblazer at the genesis of celebrity sponsorship deals—the first of his kind to send shockwaves through promotion and commerce.
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