Pepsi "isn’t going to let Coca-Cola Co. rule" football's World Cup in Brazil, according to Tariq Panja of BLOOMBERG. Coke’s relationship with FIFA is in its fifth decade, yet Pepsi "is planning its biggest-ever" football campaign, featuring Argentine Lionel Messi among its key performers. Pepsi Global CMO Kristin Patrick said, “It’s the first time we’ve rolled out a global football campaign to this magnitude. It’s in 130 countries, and also we have a large body of content from television, short films, digital content. We have events happening every single month leading to up to the summer.” Patrick said the company has “toed the line” over what it can and can’t do without being an official sponsor. The centerpiece of its campaign "is an ad set in a Rio slum that features Messi and other stars who’ll compete at the World Cup," including England’s Jack Wilshere, Brazil’s David Luiz, Sergio Ramos of Spain and Netherlands striker Robin van Persie. Pepsi’s ad campaign "took almost two years to bring together." It "doesn’t use the words World Cup, 2014 or Brazil," although featuring a cover of David Bowie’s “Heroes” performed by Janelle Monae, it "follows a boy as he journeys through a Rio de Janeiro favela, or slum, and comes across a succession of soccer stars on his way." Patrick said that not shooting the spot in Brazil "wouldn’t have made sense" (BLOOMBERG, 4/4).
