Pepsi has reunited with Shaquille O’Neal for some self-referential 1990s nostalgia—with a twist.
The star of a series of fondly remembered grunge-era Pepsi ads is appearing in his first TV work with the brand in decades. Only now, Shaq’s not backing Pepsi’s 1-liter “Big Slam” bottles as he did in some ads back then: Instead, he’s pushing Pepsi’s petite 7.5-ounce mini cans.
A new ad released this morning juxtaposes O’Neal’s 7-foot-2 frame with the tiny can while “I Wish,” Skee-Lo’s 1995 earworm, gets a new take. The ad, which shows O’Neal struggling to fit into a one-size-fits-all world, is rich with callbacks to his glory days as a Pepsi pitchman, an indulgence Pepsi has been affording itself as it celebrates its 125th anniversary. Other stars from Pepsi’s advertising past have recently resurfaced including Madonna and Britney Spears, whose musical ads re-aired during MTV’s Video Music Awards in September.
O’Neal appeared in numerous Pepsi ads in the 1990s including “Shaq Playground,” a 1994 Super Bowl commercial that winked at Coke’s famous Mean Joe Greene ad from 1980.
“I Wish” has callbacks to “Shaq Playground” (seen below) including a scene where O’Neal bends back a basketball rim, and when he delivers its famous line—“Don’t even think about it.” These moments could resonate with a millennial audience that grew up with those ads and today are parents.
“Don’t even think about it” was so popular Pepsi revived it in a separate ad in 1997, with Michael J. Fox delivering the line opposite O’Neal.
The inclusion of Skee-Lo’s “I Wish” gave Pepsi the opportunity to flip the script on a song originally told through the perspective of Skee-Lo, who lamented, “I wish I was a little bit taller/I wish I was a baller.” The new version has Skee-Lo rapping “I wish I was a little bit smaller/a mini-Shaq baller/I wouldn’t have to yell when I talk to a toddler.” Skee-Lo wrote the new lyrics and appears in the ad with O’Neal.
“I Wish,” was produced by Pepsi along with TracyLocke. The ad, in 60- and 30-second cutdowns, will air during select national NBA games on ESPN and TNT starting Nov. 22, and during NBC’s primetime NFL slate on Thanksgiving Day.
“Back in the 90s, being big was Shaq’s whole thing,” Todd Kaplan, chief marketing officer for Pepsi, said in an interview. “Today, he truly appreciates that good things can come in small packages. That’s the inspiration for the work.”
Pepsi took further inspiration from “Big Slam,” a 1994 ad in which O’Neal happily struggles with his size.
While the health and wellness movement has helped bring an end to single-serve portions like the Big Slam (Pepsi still sells 1-liter bottles but without wide spouts for chugging), consumer interest is rising in small sodas. According to Kaplan, the small-can category has doubled in size since 2018, and at Pepsi, the 10-pack of mini cans is the fastest-growing package for the entire brand. “It’s something that’s exciting to lean into given where consumer trends are going today,” Kaplan said.
Small cans are ideal for “snackable moments,” or group gatherings where a taste is more appropriate than an entire serving, Kaplan said. That aligns the offering for the trend of consumers entertaining at home.
“The beverage category is significantly different today than in the 90s,” Kaplan said. “There’s a lot more brands and categories in ready-to-drink beverages, and so we want to have a range of solutions available in different sizes to meet those different needs. Sometimes you just want a taste, sometimes you want a whole soda.”
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