Lions QB Matthew Stafford is the "star of a new Pepsi digital-only commercial that has been getting chatter since it was unveiled Oct. 28," according to CRAIN'S DETROIT BUSINESS. Stafford in the spot "lets shoppers into a 'Can Cave' party room built from hundreds of cases of Pepsi in the deli area" of a Meijer store in Madison Heights, Mich. His fiancee, Kelly Hall, also "briefly appears." The spot is a deal "made directly with Stafford, who is represented" by IMG for endorsements, and is "not part of the league deal." The spot is "part of Pepsi's #AllForFootball campaign that runs through Thanksgiving" (
CRAIN'S DETROIT BUSINESS, 11/3 issue). Meijer Senior Dir of Communications Frank Guglielmi said that it took 36 hours to "build the high-tech ‘Can Cave’ with sliding doors and peak-out window, made of 12 packs of Pepsi cans." In Michigan, Shandra Martinez noted Meijer "agreed to let Pepsi film the commercial at its store ... because the Midwest retailer and the beverage giant have a long-standing partnership in the Detroit market." Martinez: "Yes, those really are Meijer shoppers in the commercial. But there was some incentive to participate." Guglielmi said Stafford "invited customers in for a chance to win autographed Detroit Lions merchandise including footballs, Matthew Stafford jerseys, helmets, photographs and tickets to a Lions game." Martinez noted in the beginning, customers were a "little shocked to see Stafford goofing around in the store and throwing a football, but then the word got out" (
MLIVE.com, 11/3).
