The beautiful game. Such an evocative epithet, popularised by Pele, to describe planet Earth's favourite sport. And in celebration of its upcoming quadrennial exhibition, Pepsi have enlisted the varied talents of Spike Lee, Idris Elba, Timbaland, Kelly Rowland and some other people (probably), to create a 'visual album', of which they're releasing one song a week, all about…
But wait, aren't Coke the official FIFA World Cup sponsors?
Ah, the beautiful game.That’s why the words football, world or cup aren't mentioned anywhere here. And wise too that Pepsi avoided the credibility crushing term 'soccer'.
So then, appreciative nods and knowing winks to Pepsi for a good creative idea with broad audience appeal. It's also bang on for the brand, so we'd be applauding really loudly if their first weekly 'single' from Janelle Monae…
…wasn't YET ANOTHER EFFING COVER OF HEROES.
Don't get us wrong, we love a Bowie sing along as much as the next obscure weekly content review on a blog from an entertainment and content marketing agency, but we think we might have heard this one before somewhere.
Wait, wasn't it done by Kasabian for ITV in 2006?
And TV On The Radio for War Child in 2009.
And the X Factor finalists for Help for Heroes in 2010.
And for the Underworld directed entrance of Team GB at the London 2012 opening ceremony.
And in some largely-forgotten ad from Cheltenham & Gloucester in the 90s.
And even by bloody Oasis on a 1997 B-side.
Pepsi – Voice of the Next Generation. Or the last one, and the one before that, and the one before that.