A pop culture phenomenon gets a sequel, two decades later.
On Sept. 5, Pepsi welcomed football season by releasing a star-studded commercial in the theme of upcoming blockbuster “Gladiator II.”
The short film, titled “Make Your Gameday Epic,” features rapper and singer Megan Thee Stallion, NFL players Travis Kelce, Josh Allen, Derrick Henry and Justin Jefferson, as well as “White Lotus” star Jake Lacy and “Fargo” star Lamorne Morris.
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In the ad, Morris and Lacy discuss the Roman Empire in a sports bar before being magically transported into the world of gladiator battle — an ancient allegory to today’s football field.
An empress played by Megan Thee Stallion watches over gladiators Alan, Henry, Jefferson and Kelce and raps to a version of Queen’s “We Will Rock You.” The athletes battle and outsmart tigers before winning the prize: a refreshing can of Pepsi (of course).
Back in the “real world,” Kelce asks, “Are you not entertained?” through a television screen — a callback to Russel Crowe’s iconic line in the original movie — ending the surreal three-minute commercial.
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In a press release, Pepsi says the advertisement is coming with a bevy of extras: In addition to in-store displays and a sweepstakes involving talking cans in early November, the brand has a partnership with Fandango in which customers can buy $20 of Pepsi products to get a $10 Fandango movie reward toward a “Gladiator II” movie ticket.
The soda company also released a “My Roman Empire” Portrait Generator Tool where people can upload a selfie to become their own customized gladiator or roman royal.
Pepsi says customers can expect the ad to be shown on national television before and during the Chiefs-Ravens game. Megan Thee Stallion’s version of Queen’s iconic song is also available on Apple Music and other major streaming platforms.
The ad is a sequel in more ways than one: After the original “Gladiator” came out in 2000 and swept the Oscars, pop culture had the Roman Empire on the mind for a while.
That may be why, in 2004, Pepsi created its original gladiator-themed commercial starring Britney Spears, Pink and Beyoncé, with their own version of the 1977 hit, complete with Enrique Iglesias watching over as emperor.
It may be surprising to learn that the original ad never actually aired on American television, according to Rolling Stone, but it became a cultural touchstone regardless.
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