New Pepsi Television Ad Features Music Superstars Michael Jackson, Britney Spears, Kanye West, Ray Charles and Mariah Carey

PURCHASE, N.Y., Sept. 21, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Pepsi will unveil a new television spot titled, "Music Icons" tonight during the debut of FOX's THE X FACTOR.  The television spot celebrates Pepsi's rich music history, featuring global icons Michael Jackson, Britney Spears, Kanye West, Ray Charles and Mariah Carey.  "Music Icons" captures the essence of Pepsi and THE X FACTOR's search for the next pop music star.

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The new spot features the slogan, “Where there’s Pepsi, there’s music” and invites THE X FACTOR fans to re-live iconic Pepsi moments such as Michael Jackson introducing the new “Pepsi Generation,” Britney Spears dancing on the rooftops to “The Joy of Pepsi” and Ray Charles playing the piano to the tune of “You Got the Right One, Baby, Uh Huh.”

"Pepsi has always been at the center of music and pop culture and is known for featuring top talent in its campaigns," said Frank Cooper, Chief Marketing Officer, Global Consumer Engagement of PepsiCo Beverages. "We're confident that the next pop music star will emerge from our partnership with THE X FACTOR."

The "Music Icons" spot features a Pepsi-exclusive remix of the song, "Tonight is the Night" by Outasight, a newly signed artist to Warner Bros. Records from Yonkers, New York.  Surrounded by diverse music at a young age, Outasight grew up watching iconic Pepsi commercials and aspired to be like the musical legends featured in the ads.  Now his unique sound will be a part of Pepsi and pop culture history.

"We chose the song 'Tonight is the Night' because it perfectly captures the spirit of music today," said Simon Lowden, Chief Marketing Officer, PepsiCo Beverages Company.  "This spot is about re-igniting the timeless connection between Pepsi and iconic pop music and also about celebrating our partnership with THE X FACTOR.  Now we're more excited than ever to ask the question: who's next?" he continued.

"Music Icons" will air during THE X FACTOR and across Fox cable networks.  For more information, please visit pepsi.com or THE X FACTOR tab on www.facebook.com/pepsi.  

Hosted by Steve Jones, THE X FACTOR will make its highly anticipated debut with a two-night series premiere event Wednesday, Sept. 21 (8:00-10:00 PM ET/PT) and Thursday, Sept. 22 (8:00-10:00 PM ET/PT) on FOX.  Be there as THE X FACTOR judges Simon Cowell, Paula Abdul, L.A. Reid and Nicole Scherzinger begin their search for undiscovered talent 12 years old and over – both solo artists and vocal groups – who are worthy of the largest prize in television history: a $5 million recording contract with Syco/Sony Music and to be featured in a Pepsi Super Bowl commercial.

About PepsiCo

PepsiCo offers the world's largest portfolio of billion-dollar food and beverage brands, including 19 different product lines that generate more than $1 billion in annual retail sales each. Our main businesses -- Quaker, Tropicana, Gatorade, Frito-Lay, and Pepsi Cola -- also make hundreds of other enjoyable and wholesome foods and beverages that are respected household names throughout the world. With net revenues of approximately $60 billion, PepsiCo's people are united by our unique commitment to sustainable growth by investing in a healthier future for people and our planet, which we believe also, means a more successful future for PepsiCo. We call this commitment Performance with Purpose: PepsiCo's promise to provide a wide range of foods and beverages for local tastes; to find innovative ways to minimize our impact on the environment, including by conserving energy and water usage, and reducing packaging volume; to provide a great workplace for our associates; and to respect, support, and invest in the local communities where we operate. For more information, please visit www.pepsico.com

About THE X FACTOR

THE X FACTOR is produced by Syco Television and FremantleMedia North America. Simon Cowell, Rob Wade and Siobhan Greene are executive producers for Syco Television. Cecile Frot-Coutaz, Richard Holloway and Andrew Llinares serve as executive producers for FremantleMedia North America.  The show is scheduled to premiere this fall on FOX.

THE X FACTOR has aired in over 25 territories including Australia, Belgium, France, Colombia, The Netherlands, Russia, Spain, Turkey and the UK. The show was the number 1 program in the UK with a peak audience of 17.7 million viewers, with the final achieving a peak audience of 21 million and a 65% audience share. The format has also been the number 1 program in Denmark for the last four years, watched by 40% of the population. In 2010, THE X FACTOR was the number 1 program in Hungary, the number 1 entertainment show on VOX in Germany, and the number 1 program in Finland for young adults (15-34). In 2009, THE X FACTOR was the number 1 entertainment program for young adults (15-34) on W9 in France, the number 1 entertainment show in Greece for Antenna and in Italy on Rai2, and the number 1 program in The Netherlands on RTL4 for young adults (20-34). In some markets, THE X FACTOR has increased the channel average demographic by up to 250%.

The format has received numerous honors worldwide, including three BAFTA awards, numerous NTA awards and the coveted Rose d'Or. In the U.K., an unprecedented 1.5 million iTunes downloads were made from "THE X FACTOR" contestant performances in 2010. Globally, more than 100 million records have been sold by artists launched through the series, including over 90 #1 singles and albums and 150 Top Ten records.

SOURCE PepsiCo