List of Pepsi spokespersons
| Industry | Food and beverage |
|---|---|
| Founded | August 28, 1898 in New Bern, North Carolina, United States |
| Products | Soft drinks, snacks, and other food products |
| Parent | PepsiCo, Inc. |
| Website | www |
United States
Joan Crawford, who was married to PepsiCo president Alfred Steele from 1955 to 1959, held roles as an advertising executive and board member between 1959 and 1973.
During the 1960s, Joanie Sommers gained recognition as "The Pepsi Girl" by performing well-known commercial jingles such as "It's Pepsi, for those who think young" and "Now you see it, now you don't, oh, Diet Pepsi."
Michael Jackson’s partnership with Pepsi, beginning in 1983, resulted in numerous commercials and world tours that extended through 1993. Between 1986 and 1990, Michael J. Fox appeared in a series of ads distinguished by their creative narratives and music composed by Kenny Loggins.
Pepsi broadcast the first national Spanish-language television commercial without dubbing or subtitles during the 1989 Grammy Awards, featuring Puerto Rican singer Chayanne.
In the early 1990s, Ray Charles fronted the successful Diet Pepsi campaign known as "You Got the Right One, Baby," also referred to as "Uh-huh."
The late 1990s featured the Spice Girls as the prominent faces of Pepsi’s “Generation Next” campaign, which included television advertisements, promotional CD singles, and collectible cans showcasing each member.
Britney Spears became a Pepsi spokesperson in 2001, starring in commercials connected to major events like the World Cup. Her contract concluded with a notable advertisement featuring performances by Pink, Beyoncé Knowles, Enrique Iglesias, and Amr Diab singing Queen’s "We Will Rock You" in a Roman gladiator-themed setting.
In 2004, Beyoncé, Jennifer Lopez, David Beckham, and Amr Diab collectively appeared in a high-profile commercial campaign for Pepsi.
Christina Aguilera joined the brand in 2005 to promote it internationally—excluding the U.S.—through campaigns that highlighted her "dare for more" image. Aretha Franklin served as a spokesperson in 1998, while Janet Jackson led the 1999 "Ask For More" campaign accompanied by an original song.
The 2006 "Cool Tones" initiative saw PepsiCo collaborate with Motorola to offer ringtones created by artists such as Mariah Carey, Mary J. Blige, and The All-American Rejects, who also appeared in associated commercials.
Beyoncé returned in 2012 for her fifth campaign with Pepsi under a multiyear agreement valued at around $50 million. This deal covered global media exposure, promotional activities, Beyoncé’s compensation, and creative content production. That same year, Nicki Minaj signed on for a promotional partnership highlighted by a commercial featuring her hit "Moment 4 Life."
Since 1997 NASCAR driver Jeff Gordon has been sponsored by Pepsi; initially participating in the Busch Series and later appearing in select races each season starting in 2001.
In 2013, a prominent Pepsi commercial starred New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees alongside musical group One Direction.
Europe and the United Kingdom
During the 1988 and 1989 seasons, Pepsi sponsored Suzuki’s Grand Prix 500cc motorcycle racing team as part of a transition from tobacco to beverage sponsorships. Suzuki also manufactured road-legal replicas of these GP motorcycles bearing Pepsi branding inspired by rider Kevin Schwantz; these models remain popular among fans.
In 1998, the Spice Girls acted as global ambassadors for Pepsi with their track "Move Over (Generation Next)." Since 2001, Greek singer Sakis Rouvas has represented Pepsi across Greece and the Balkans under a contract managed by UK headquarters; he is notably the only Greek artist selected for this role.
Starting in summer 2009, Romanian singer Inna became Pepsi’s representative for Romania, Moldova, Bulgaria, Hungary, and Serbia. She promoted the brand through television and online campaigns often adapted linguistically to suit regional audiences.
Latin America
Pepsi's marketing efforts in Latin America have showcased well-known figures such as Colombian artists Shakira and Juanes; Mexican singer Julieta Venegas; Dominican athlete Sammy Sosa; Puerto Rican performers Ricky Martin and Daddy Yankee; along with Spanish-speaking vocalist Jaci Velasquez. In 2007, the Mexican pop group RBD also served as brand ambassadors within Mexico.
Asia
Across Asia, Pepsi has collaborated with a variety of entertainers including Siti Nurhaliza, Jay Chou, Rain, Kelly Chen, G.E.M. Tang, Jackson Wang, and SB19, among others.
In Pakistan, Pepsi acts as a sponsor for the national cricket team and has featured celebrities like Hadiqa Kiani, Shoaib Akhtar, Younus Khan, Adnan Sami, as well as musical groups such as Vital Signs in its promotions.
Indian campaigns initially highlighted stars like Aamir Khan, Mahima Chaudhary, and Aishwariya Rai. Subsequently, endorsements expanded to include Amitabh Bachchan, Shah Rukh Khan, Kajol, Rani Mukherjee, Saif Ali Khan, Akshay Kumar, Preity Zinta, John Abraham, Priyanka Chopra, Kareena Kapoor, and the country's cricket team. The Youngistan initiative targeted younger demographics with Ranbir Kapoor and Deepika Padukone acting as brand representatives.
Australia
In Australia, Pepsi has utilized prominent local personalities including Kylie Minogue, Jennifer Hawkins (Miss Universe 2004), Holly Valance, Harry Kewell, Delta Goodrem, Mark Philippoussis, along with New Zealand’s Sonny Bill Williams to endorse its products.
Spokesperson issues
The first global pop icon to promote Pepsi was Michael Jackson, who appeared alongside his siblings (The Jackson 5) in an advertisement featuring a modified version of his hit "Billie Jean." During the production of a follow-up commercial in 1984, Jackson sustained serious burns caused by a pyrotechnics mishap.
In 1987, David Bowie and Tina Turner co-starred in an ad inspired by Bowie's song "Modern Love." That same year, Pepsi sponsored Bowie’s Glass Spider World Tour. Following allegations of sexual assault against Bowie, Pepsi promptly ended their campaign association. Later attempts to sign Madonna concluded controversially due to the "Like a Prayer" video which drew accusations of anti-Catholic sentiments.
In 2002, after criticism from Fox commentator Bill O’Reilly who called the company "immoral" for collaborating with rapper Ludacris, Pepsi withdrew a nationwide commercial featuring him. The controversy escalated when advertisements featuring The Osbournes aired, leading to accusations of racial insensitivity from Russell Simmons of the Hip Hop Summit Action Network. While Pepsi cited Ludacris’s lyrics as grounds for dropping him from the campaign, it faced backlash for not addressing The Osbournes' language use. The situation was resolved when Pepsi committed $1 million annually over three years to support the Ludacris Foundation and other community programs. Ludacris chose not to continue working with Pepsi or have prior commercials re-broadcast.
In 2005, rumors circulated that rapper Kanye West was dropped after criticizing President George W. Bush, but Pepsi’s PR manager Nicole Bradley confirmed their partnership remained unchanged.
In 2017, PepsiCo unveiled the “Live for Now” advertisement starring model and television personality Kendall Jenner. The commercial was widely criticized for minimizing issues related to Black Lives Matter and police violence. It was withdrawn within 24 hours and Pepsi issued an apology for “making light of any serious issue.”