Pepsi is coming in hot this Super Bowl season, recruiting none other than Cardi to appear in its annual commercial.
With the big game days away — set to go down this Sunday (Feb. 3) — Pepsi has decided to share the highly anticipated ad ahead of time.
The commercial stars actor Steve Carell as the lead and takes place at a restaurant. After overhearing the waiter ask, “Is Pepsi OK?” in response to a guest’s order, the comedian steps in to demand that some respect be put on the soda company’s name. As the scene unfolds, Carell gives some unsolicited acting voice, calling for others to assert with confidence that Pepsi is more than okay.
Soon, Lil Jon makes an appearance, offering his trademark “OH-KAY” to help illustrate Carell’s pitch. After that, Cardi B comes through with her signature “Okurrr.” Carell then fails to impress with his impersonation of the rappers’ trademarks, joking that he needs his own version of a catch phrase.
In addition to the commercial lightheartedly acknowledging that it’s the second favorite among many soda drinkers, the ad also features Cardi B’s hit song “I Like It” featuring Bad Bunny and J Balvin.
“Every day, there are millions of people who enjoy Pepsi — people who love this brand — yet they continue to be asked ‘Is Pepsi OK?’” the company’s VP of marketing, Todd Kaplan, shared with Ad Week. “We felt that it was time to address this question head-on.”
Cardi B previously turned down several offers to perform at the Super Bowl in support of Colin Kaepernick. However, while she won’t be participating in the half time show in any capacity, the Grammy-nominated rapper will be performing as part of Bud Light Super Bowl Music Fest alongside Bruno Mars.
On Sunday, when the New England Patriots take on the Los Angeles Rams will be the NFL champions, Pepsi will air a 30-second version of the clip on television. Take a look at the extended version below.