Nicki Minaj Joins Long Line Of Pepsi Faces: Watch 7 Classic Pop Star Soda Ads

Robbie Daw | March 19, 2012 2:03 pm

That sound you hear in the distance is some cha-ching mixed with a little super bass. Nicki Minj is the latest music star to sign with Pepsi Co. — a multi-million dollar deal, Forbes reports — and the “Starships” songstress is set to be the face of the company’s new soda brand Pop. The first commercial, which was shot recently in South America, should arrive within a few months. But all this pop talk has us reminiscing about Nicki’s “Give Me All Your Luvin’” pal Madonna’s own Pepsi commercial — you know, the one that got pulled due to its tie-in with her controversial “Like A Prayer” video in 1989. And then there were Michael Jackson’s own ads for the company. And Whitney and George Michael’s shills for Diet Coke. Oh, just jump below and watch all the fizzy pop goodness from the days of yore! Michael Jackson, Pepsi (1984). Clearly the “whole new Pepsi generation” of the mid-’80s was a Michael Jackson-loving generation, as these kids all look like clones of MJ and his male Jackson siblings. The late King Of Pop infamously suffered second-degree burns on his scalp in January 1984 after an on-set accident during the filming of one of his commercials for the company.

Whitney Houston, Diet Coke (1986). Just for the aaaaaah, OOOOHHHH! Coca Cola and The Voice produced one of the most upbeat soda ads to come out of the ’80s with this gem.

Madonna, Pepsi (1989). The soft drink company pulled this commercial featuring Madonna (who travels back in time and visits with her pre-teen self ) and her then-new single “Like A Prayer” after viewers confused it with the song’s controversial music video and the American Family Association threatened a boycott. Madge got the last laugh, however, by collecting her $5 million paycheck, regardless.

George Michael, Diet Coke (1989). The leather. The denim. The spurs. “Father Figure” and “I Want Your Sex” crooner George Michael starred in what we’ll note is one of the less-imaginative cola commercials to surface in the ’80s. Wait – how many millions did he get paid to just jiggle around for 28 seconds ???

Ray Charles, Diet Pepsi (1991). Living through the 1990s without having seen one of Brother Ray and the Uh-Huh Girls’ “You Got The Right One Baby” Diet Pepsi ads is pretty much a physical impossibility.

Britney Spears, Beyonce, Pink & Enrique Iglesias, Pepsi (2004). Roman Emperor Iglesias Caeser presides over a diva battle to the finish between Britney, Beyonce and Pink — or so he thinks. The ladies are released into the Colosseum, but rather than do battle, they lead the bloodthirsty crowd in a chant of Queen’s “We Will Rock You”. As for Enrique, he gets thrown to the lions.

Christina Aguilera, Pepsi (2006). Xtina gets funky in a recording studio while singing “Here To Stay”, then travels the world doing sexy dances while having her pic snapped by onlookers’ cell phones. If you’re scratching your head trying to remember why you’ve never seen this ad before, don’t fret — it was actually never broadcast in the States.

Which of these bubbly soda pop commercials is your favorite? Let us know below!