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Megan Thee Stallion, Travis Kelce & More Go Gladiator at MTV VMAs

With the NFL season set to start, Pepsi and Paramount enlisted Megan Thee Stallion, Travis Kelce, and more to help "Make Your Gameday Epic."

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Okay, you're going to need to be patient with us for this one because, in terms of corporate synergy, this thing dials it up to a "Spinal Tap"-loving eleven. Pepsi and Paramount Global have teamed up for a new television commercial – simple enough, right? Did we mention that it features Megan Thee Stallion, NFL folks Josh Allen, Derrick Henry, Justin Jefferson, and Travis Kelce; actors Lamorne Morris and Jake Lacy? And that it's set back during the time of Ancient Rome in a gladiator colosseum – clearly a nod to Ridley Scott's upcoming Paul Mescal, Pedro Pascal, Denzel Washington, Joseph Quinn, and Connie Nielsen-starring Gladiator II?

NFL
Image: Pepsi Screencap

In the extended promo for a whole lot of things, Morris and Lacy's Pepsi Zero Sugar conversation quickly turns into a journey to the Colosseum – where Empress Megan rules the day – and Allen, Henry, Jefferson, and Kelce find themselves fighting for their lives… Empress Megan's approval… and an ice-cold Pepsi before kicking things into overdrive for the start of the NFL season. We won't spoil the specifics – other than to say that we also get Megan Thee Stallion's sweet stadium anthem, with some backup from Queen's "We Will Rock You." Does the ad work? Definitely for the viewers: it's fun, entertaining, and definitely not your normal television commercial. But it works even better for all parties involved…

Along with helping Pepsi promote its beverages, Paramount gets to use the ad to boost its NFL coverage (not that ratings are hurting by any stretch of the imagination) as well as MTV's upcoming VMAs (which Megan Thee Stallion is hosting on September 11th so definitely expect a "Gladiator" fashion statement that night). Of course, Scott's Gladiator II clearly gets some serious spotlighting during the ad – and the NFL isn't one to not appreciate any and every bit of (official) advertising that makes the league look good and keeps the concept of professional football in folks' faces as the new season gets underway. Expect the ad to be airing on a number of Paramount properties (like NFL broadcasts, Comedy Central, MTV, etc.), as well as during non-Paramount programming.

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Ray FlookAbout Ray Flook

Serving as Television Editor since 2018, Ray began five years earlier as a contributing writer/photographer before being brought onto the core BC team in 2017.
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