The remastered spots are set to re-air during the 2023 MTV Video Music Awards
Pepsi, a pioneer of the concept of music video commercials, continues the celebration of its 125th birthday and star-studded history by reviving some of the brand’s most famed music video-styled spots. The re-released versions of archival commercials pay tribute to music legends Madonna, Britney Spears, Tina Turner, Robert Palmer, and Ray Charles, each of whom has played a major role in shaping the brand’s legacy as one of the first brands in advertising history to release music video spots. For the first time in decades, versions of the iconic Madonna and Britney Spears spots will return to national television during the 2023 MTV Video Music Awards (VMAs) on Tuesday, September 12th.
The new Pepsi logo and visual identity – which continues to roll onto store shelves—now anchors the revived music video commercials in the intro and end cards of each classic spot.
Spots include Tina Turner’s “Taste For Pepsi” from 1986; Robert Palmer’s “Simply Irresistible” from 1989; Madonna’s “Like A Prayer” from 1989; Ray Charles’ “The Right One Baby” from 1991; and Britney Spears’ “The Joy of Cola” from 2001.
The original spots of Madonna’s “Like A Prayer” and Spears’ “The Joy of Cola” have not been aired on national television in full since their original runs, over 30 and 20 years ago, respectively, making the 2023 VMAs the perfect stage for Pepsi to re-debut them. Pepsi has a long history at the VMAs, showing up consistently at the show for decades, including the recent premiere of the Pepsi-Cola Soda Shop music video inspired by the film Grease in 2021.
