“May your hands always be busy, May your feet always be swift…” Pepsi’s latest ad campaign for major league baseball flashes across the television screen. In our oversaturated advertising environment, few commercials have any impact on me personally. I might continue watching, for lack of something better to stare at, but in the end I could care less what the advertisers are saying. Pepsi’s commercial for the 2009 season was different.
The overall message of the commercial, “every generation refreshes the world”, is part of a multi-faceted advertising effort. The MLB specific commercial opens with Will I. Am’s remix of the Bob Dylan song Forever Young. A clip of Mickey Mantle gives way to the sweet swing of Ken Griffey Jr. The two sluggers are then shown together on a split screen as a Pepsi refresh icon swirls in the middle. Jackie Robinson and Jose Reyes, new and old Yankee Stadium, the Amazin’ Mets and the 2008 Phillies, Jeter and the Babe: clips of each are briefly shown. As memories of yesterday’s heroes give way to today’s stars, I find myself absorbing the message Pepsi is sending. The last clip uses another split screen, only this time the message is about the fans. On the left sits a man at a game 50 years ago, the right depicts a present day fan. Both are drinking Pepsi. The refresh logo makes another appearance and the viewer is told, “Every generation refreshes the world…Pepsi the official soft drink of major league baseball.”
Specifically marketing to baseball fans is nothing new. For me, what separates this particular commercial from the others is the clean presentation of the message. The video clips corresponding with lyrics of the song, the contrast and of new and old, and subtle details present a compelling, thirty-second narrative of our nation’s pastime. The nostalgic quality of the commercial positively links the product to baseball. It leaves viewers with the thought that it is now your turn to refresh the world, and here’s how you do it. Is the message a little contrived? Maybe so, but I know I will take a couple seconds out any day to watch the silky smooth swing of The Kid.
Watch the commercial:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lvaPNG2Rv-o
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