This year marks the 50th anniversary of hip-hop. To celebrate, Pepsi Max has launched an international campaign honoring late rapper The Notorious B.I.G. and his legacy in the genre.
Working with the estate and family of The Notorious B.I.G. [Christopher Wallace], who was murdered in March 1997, Pepsi Max’s campaign aims to bring the artist’s music to life through both virtual and physical experiences and events. That will include street art appearing in major cities around the world and limited-edition cans featuring his image.
Linking him as a fan of Pepsi, the company has highlighted an old freestyle track that was discovered in 2020 but recorded in 1997. The track included the lyrics: “Nothing can beat the P-E-P-S-I, yes I drink it constantly / Something ’bout the taste feels great, less filling / Tell ’em Biggie said to drink it all, don’t test me / Nothing else beats a Pepsi / If it is, let’s see/ I’m thirsty.”
Pepsi released the track through its YouTube channel.
“We are always keeping a finger on the pulse of culture while listening to music fans’ preferred choices, and in the lead up to this momentous cultural occasion, they told us they had Biggie on repeat,” Gustavo Reyna, senior director of global marketing at PepsiCo, said in a statement.
“In celebration of the 50th anniversary of hip-hop, an art form that has touched every corner of the world and evolved into one of the most significant drivers of popular culture, Pepsi is honored to partner with The Notorious B.I.G. Estate to bring this unique encore of Biggie’s art and talent to a whole new generation of music fans in never-before-seen ways,” he added.
The partnership will form part of Pepsi Max’s international “Thirsty For More” platform, which celebrates music, soccer and entertainment. Activity is running across the @PepsiGlobal Instagram and Facebook channels, using the hashtags #BiggieOneMoreTime, #ThirstyForMore and #BIGForever.
Pepsi is not the only major soft drink producer to celebrate the 50th anniversary of hip-hop. Rival Coca-Cola’s soda Sprite has also begun its own initiative, with “a summer of drops” during which consumers can win merchandise from over the decades.
