Pepsi Revisits Michael Jackson For New Ad Campaign

Pepsi is bringing Michael Jackson back for a new ad campaign. But not everybody’s buying it. With the endorsement of Jackson’s estate, the soft drink giant announced on Thursday its plans to roll out millions of Pepsi cans bearing images of the late King Of Pop. The campaign will tout the celebration of the 25th anniversary of Jackson’s “Bad” album and include live events and opportunities to download remixes of Jackson’s music catalog. Some are calling the move “macabre” and “over the top” citing the use of the pop star’s image to sell pop not quite three years after his death. But others, like image consultant Laura Ries, think the move is nothing short of genius. Ries tells “USA Today,” “A dead Michael Jackson is effective, a live Michael Jackson would not have been because of all the negativity.”
Pepsi’s relationship with Jackson stems back to the height of the pop star’s popularity in the mid-1980s.

That’s when the singer appeared in a series of ads for the soft drink company, including one that left him severely injured when his hair caught fire during a pyrotechnics stunt.

Pepsi’s execs are banking on the nostalgia factor to make the campaign a success for them. Chief marketing officer Frank Cooper says, “Michael Jackson will always be the King Of Pop.”