PEPSI 'GENERATIONS'
Spec Campaign
In the 1980s, Michael Jackson and Pepsi created one of the most iconic brand–artist partnerships in advertising history. The 1984 Pepsi commercial featuring Jackson and a young Alfonso Ribeiro blended music, dance, and storytelling in a way that reshaped celebrity sponsorships and cemented Pepsi’s place in pop culture. Decades later, the upcoming biographical film Michael will reintroduce Jackson’s story to a global audience. With renewed cultural attention surrounding Michael Jackson, Pepsi has a rare opportunity to revisit one of the most influential moments in its advertising history.
Client:
PepsiCo.
Role:
Creative Director, Designer
Year:
2026
Challenge
The release of Michael will spark widespread cultural conversation about Michael Jackson and his legacy. While Pepsi has an authentic connection to that story, the brand must participate in the moment in a way that feels intentional and culturally relevant rather than purely promotional. Pepsi needs a concept that honors its historical partnership with Jackson while translating that legacy into something engaging for modern audiences who may not have experienced the original campaigns.
Objective
Use the cultural momentum surrounding Michael to reinforce Pepsi’s legacy in music and entertainment by launching a campaign inspired by its historic collaboration with Michael Jackson. By featuring Jaafar Jackson—who portrays Michael Jackson in the film—the campaign reimagines the energy and visual language of Pepsi’s original MJ commercials for today’s audience. The goal is to create a new Pepsi advertising moment that celebrates the brand’s place in music history while engaging a new generation of fans.
Results
The deliverable for this project is a visual storyboard that walks through the full chronology of the proposed commercial. Each frame illustrates a key moment in the narrative—from the opening scene that establishes the setting, through the dance-driven performance inspired by the original Pepsi–Michael Jackson ads, to the final branded reveal. The storyboard functions as a creative blueprint for the campaign, clearly communicating the pacing, visual language, and storytelling arc of the commercial while demonstrating how Pepsi’s historical connection to Michael Jackson can be translated into a contemporary advertising moment.