I moved to Los Angeles to work at TBWA/ChiatDay and on Pepsi. I worked as an ACD on Pepsi, Diet Pepsi, Pepsi Max, and also Pepsi Next. I’ve put my favorite stuff here, starting with the Pepsi Max Major League Baseball sponsorship campaign.
We wrote a Pepsi Max machine into the middle of a cornfield and waited to see who would come and what would happen. The first person to show up was Joe Pytka. He was the original director on the Pepsi Max “driver” campaign, and was grandfathered into every Pepsi Max spot as the director. When I wasn’t being told i was a fucking idiot by Joe, I sort of enjoyed his film making in the moment approach. I don’t really get star struck, but on set being around the baseball heroes of my youth was magical. I think we got some of that on film.
Pepsi Max was also the official drink of the National Football league. Since Pepsi is located in New York, we made a spot with Rex Ryan and the Jets.
Studies showed that people actually valued taste over zero sugar, and thus the birth of Pepsi Next – real cola taste with 60% less sugar. But don’t take our word for it, you’ve got to “Drink it to believe it.” Cue the dancing baby. See also this spot, which was never released because it didn’t test as well as the dancing baby. Sorry Dante Ariola. (As long as it didn’t run, I am sharing cut 17A, because the ending with the other guy is way funnier.)
Various Pepsi projects made with: Armando Samuels, Kristina Kirkljus, Chris Jones, John Baker, Ryan Lehr, Stephen ChowMarlon Hernandez, Brett Craig,