To celebrate the start of the football season, PepsiCo's Frito-Lay and beverages brands are helping fans imagine a world where their favorite players come out of retirement with the debut of its 2023 NFL Kickoff campaign, "Unretirement."
The star-studded TV commercial brings current and former NFL players Tom Brady, Julian Edelman, Dan Marino, Randy Moss, Jerry Rice, Emmitt Smith, and Josh Allen (PepsiCo's newest athlete) together to spotlight the joy of watching football when Frito-Lay snacks and PepsiCo beverages are served. After the first bite and sip, they instantly find themselves back out on the field to get one last taste of NFL glory, but things don't quite go according to plan.
"Our brands are synonymous with the gameday experience," says Greg Lyons, chief marketing officer of PepsiCo Beverages North America. "Gameday is about enjoying friends, family and football; getting lost in the excitement and those moments when the pop of a can or the first crunch of a chip is heard. So, for the kickoff of the 2023 season, we're amplifying that excitement even more by bringing together an iconic lineup of talent, snacks, and beverages that only PepsiCo can deliver."
From Marino using reading glasses to see the play call wristband to Smith accidentally falling asleep on the bench to former teammates Brady and Edelman considering a return, this spot, according to the company, proves that a crunchy Lay's chip and a cool Pepsi Zero Sugar are enough of a gameday taste for these retirees.
"The kickoff to football season fuels the anticipation fans experience when they're about to see their favorite players on the field after months away," says Brett O'Brien, chief marketing officer of Frito-Lay North America. "With this campaign, we're taking that excitement one step further by playing into the trend of unretirement and bringing back players fans wouldn't expect to see on the field again."
Josh Allen appears in the commercial while capturing a selfie with Marino after a sack. "Unretirement" marks Allen's first campaign as part of his new multi-year partnership with PepsiCo, supporting brands across the portfolio to spread the message of delicious gameday snacking to football fans across the country.
"Growing up, PepsiCo brands were gameday staples in my household while I watched these NFL legends," says Allen. "I never thought I'd get to share the field with a football great like Dan Marino, so it was a blast to shoot this commercial alongside everyone and be part of their 'unretirement' experience."
The commercial will premiere on Sunday, September 10 and will run throughout the duration of the NFL season. The campaign marks the latest in a decades-old relationship between PepsiCo and the NFL.
