“How often do you think about the Roman Empire?” That was the burning question of 2023. As the “Roman Empire” meme flooded social feeds with people joking about how often they contemplated this historical period, Pepsi recognized an opportunity: What if we didn’t just talk about the Roman Empire, but actually built one?
As a brand that thrives on cultural storytelling, Pepsi partnered with Paramount Global, RSA Films and Framestore to create “Make Your Gameday Epic”—an immersive, cinematic campaign that merged the spectacle of “Gladiator II” with the adrenaline of the NFL. The goal? Leverage the hype surrounding Paramount’s highly-anticipated theatrical sequel and the start of football season to create a Roman Empire moment for the modern day, one that would dominate pop culture and position Pepsi at the center of the conversation.
Looking to recapture the magic of the iconic 2004 Pepsi Gladiator spot with Beyoncé, Britney Spears, and Pink, Pepsi enlisted hip-hop superstar, Megan Thee Stallion, to serve as our Empress alongside NFL greats Josh Allen, Derrick Henry, Justin Jefferson, and Travis Kelce.
The 360 campaign kicked off with a massive moment: the 2024 MTV VMAs. With Megan Thee Stallion serving as host, the broadcast not only delivered the linear premiere, but also set up an in-show performance with Megan in full Roman Empress garb.
By fusing nostalgia, sports, music, and blockbuster filmmaking, “Make Your Gameday Epic” was a seamless integration that ensured Pepsi didn’t just break through the noise—it owned it.
In order to be truly epic, the campaign needed to deliver on the crux of the “Roman Empire” meme: earning attention & making the message stick from the NFL season kickoff and beyond.
1. A Modern Roman Empire Moment
Drawing inspiration from “Gladiator II” while infusing the thrills of football, our hero creative needed to feel dynamic. The 3-minute film starts with Jake Lacy (White Lotus) and Lamorne Morris (The New Girl) talking about their Fantasy Football draft picks at a bar, and upon ordering their cold Pepsi, begin hearing, “BOOM. BOOM. CLAP!” They immediately find themselves in a coliseum where Empress Megan presides over an epic battle featuring our Gridiron Gladiators—NFL stars Josh Allen, Derrick Henry, Justin Jefferson, and Travis Kelce—as they work together to secure a chest of ice-cold Pepsi.
The action was soundtracked by an exclusive new gameday anthem from Megan Thee Stallion, sampling Queen’s iconic “We Will Rock You” as a direct callback to the 2004 campaign. The reimagined track infused Megan’s empowering lyricism with the timeless stadium chant, ensuring the song resonated across generations.
2. The Power of Collaboration
To bring this vision to life, Pepsi enlisted an all-star lineup:
Together, we didn’t just create an ad—we built a spectacle that blurred the lines between marketing and entertainment.
3. A Fan-First 360 Rollout & Cultural Crescendo
To permeate fans’ minds and take hold like the Roman Empire, the campaign followed fans through the places they spend the most time:
“Make Your Gameday Epic” didn’t just break through in culture—it cemented itself as the NFL season’s true Roman Empire holding space in fans’ minds.
By harnessing the “Roman Empire” meme moment, bringing together world-class partners, and executing a first-of-its-kind media blitz that harnessed the power of Paramount Global’s ecosystem, Pepsi didn’t just celebrate “Gladiator II”—we made our own COLA-ssal moment. And just like the Roman Empire, people can’t stop thinking about it.
