Pepsi was losing to Coke in the early 80s and made one bold move, they paid Michael Jackson $5 million to front their campaign. The ads were big-budget, visually stunning, and felt more like music videos than commercials.
It was 1984, and nothing like this had ever been done before. That one decision quietly changed how every brand thinks about celebrity partnerships to this day. Do you think a deal like this would work the same way now?
Pepsi was losing to Coke in the early 80s and made one bold move, they paid Michael Jackson $5 million to front their campaign. The ads were big-budget, visually stunning, and felt more like music videos than commercials.
It was 1984, and nothing like this had ever been done before. That one decision quietly changed how every brand thinks about celebrity partnerships to this day. Do you think a deal like this would work the same way now?
