Pepsi has a long history of connecting fans with the entertainment that has made the brand a mainstay in pop culture. With the world’s most popular sport in the hearts and minds of people more than ever, now the brand announces its global 2018 “Pepsi Generations” soccer campaign. Featuring the tagline, “This Is The Pepsi That Moves Every Generation” in the U.S., the campaign will feature worthy content with the game’s famed players and unexpected soccer moments and experiences throughout the year.

“Pepsi is connecting soccer enthusiasts with unparalleled access to the players they know and love, providing fans with a behind-the-scenes glimpse of how their favorite athlete, loves and lives the game both on and off the field,” said Charece Williams, Senior Manager, Sports Marketing, PepsiCo. “We’re excited to work with many of the top global players, including the LA Galaxy’s Giovani dos Santos in the U.S., to provide fans with rich content that will align with their passions and bring them closer to the game.”

The rich, 360-degree 2018 campaign connects art and sport to bring the beautiful game to life – on and off the pitch – with a unique, highly sharable and joy-evoking take on the sport and our world-class line-up of global soccer players:

• Five-time Best Player of the Year and Four-time UEFA Champions League winner, Leo Messi
• World-renowned Brazilian defender and back to back UEFA Champions League winner, Marcelo
• Three-time UEFA Champions League winner and German midfielder, Toni Kroos
• US award-winning playmaker and two-time Women’s Best Player of the Year, Carli Lloyd
• English rising star and two-time Young Player of the Year, Dele Alli
• Additionally, Mexican professional soccer player and LA Galaxy member,  Giovani dos Santos will serve as the U.S. ambassador

Airing alongside the brand’s official UEFA Champions League partnership, the global TV commercial brings five of the world’s best players to the streets for an action-packed, high-energy kickabout with fans – and paint-filled balls. The all-star global 2018 Pepsi squad – Leo Messi, Marcelo, Toni Kroos, Carli Lloyd and Giovani dos Santos – show off their skill and agility as they race through the bustling crowd to dodge paintballs coming from every direction. The energy and excitement is palpable as more people decide to live for the moment, join the game and cheer on the players.

From Messi’s unstoppable presence and reign over the pitch to Marcelo’s tenacious playstyle, each athlete has a unique attribute that Pepsi is bringing to life through a series of bold, black & white portraits captured by renowned lensman Danny Clinch, as well as photographer Andres Cardona for U.S. ambassador Giovani dos Santos.

The photographs – which capture the spirit, character and energy of each Pepsi teammate – act as the canvas for extremely personal artistic overlays created by visual artists from the athletes’ home countries. Diego Jimenez (aka DIYE) (Argentina), Bicicleta Sem Freio (Brazil), Dennis Schuster (aka DXTR) (Germany), Kim Sielbeck (US) and Iain Macarthur (UK) designed their own graphic interpretations of each player’s story.

• Messi x Danny Clinch x DIYE: DIYE created a visual metaphor, the Lion, to represent Messi on and off the pitch: an explosive playmaker and the undisputed king of the pitch who carries a great legacy.
• Marcelo x Danny Clinch x Bicicleta: Energy and impact in the artwork from this artistic duo is parallel to Marcelo’s heart and soul, with various story elements speaking to Marcelo’s interests, his hometown and resilient dedication to family and soccer.
• Kroos x Danny Clinch x DXTR: Playful illustrations portray Kroos as the “maestro” – a precise leader on the pitch orchestrating masterful play with incredible finesse.
• Lloyd x Danny Clinch x Kim Sielbeck: Lloyd’s duality on and off the pitch –intimidating, aggressive and relentless, but a player with great humility and a quiet, calming persona – is illustrated by Sielbeck with a mixture of rigid and organic elements forming a wild landscape of complex emotions and depth, with the strongest of wills to succeed at the heart.
• Dos Santos x Andres Cardona x Bayo Flores: In the U.S.,  the artistic partnership will stem from Gio’s work with award-winning Art Director, Bayo Flores, an illustrator and visual artist with more than 15 years of experience. Bayo and Gio share the same origin, culture, destination and professional admiration. Both have performed at the highest levels of their talents in Mexico, Europe and the U.S., and their collaboration will produce impactful, distinctive content that will bring fans closer to Gio and the game.

Starting in May through July, the U.S. Pepsi x soccer campaign will kick off, bringing fans additional disruptive content and experiences that enable them to truly love and live the game.