Pepsi® is continuing its 125th anniversary celebration by reuniting with Shaquille O’Neal – whose countless Pepsi commercials delighted and wowed consumers throughout the 90’s – to unveil a brand-new commercial that highlights Pepsi Mini Cans as the perfect pairing for snack and mealtime occasions. In the new spot, Shaq wishes he was “a little bit smaller” when faced with the everyday perils of his larger-than-life size, to celebrate that Pepsi Mini Cans are always the perfect size.
The spot – titled “I Wish” – shows Shaq in various environments where a one-size-fits-all approach doesn’t exactly work: from sitting comfortably in airplanes, to fitting in a bed properly without his feet hanging off, or just casually walking through doorways. The spot’s emotion and humor are heightened thanks to a cameo appearance from Skee-Lo, who lays down updated lyrics to parody his famous 1995 hip-hop hit, “I Wish I Was A Little Bit Taller.” Drawing inspiration from past Pepsi and Shaq work – especially the “Big Slam” spot from 1994 – the amusing juxtaposition of a larger-than-life Shaq lamenting life’s smaller situations doesn’t stop him from showing love to Pepsi Mini Cans, proving that despite their small stature, Pepsi Minis are just right for any occasion.
“As a longtime partner of the brand, I always have a great time working with Pepsi. It was incredibly fun to create the ‘I Wish’ commercial, showing how things could be better if I were indeed a little bit smaller,” said Shaquille O’Neal. “With Pepsi Mini Cans, I can enjoy every sip and appreciate the little things in life.”
“In the 90s when my hit ‘I Wish’ first came out, it was all about ‘bigger is better’—whether it was being taller, having larger t-shirts or shorts. Everyone in my neighborhood wanted to be a larger-than-life basketball star…but now we’ve got the biggest, baddest dude in the game, Shaq, to flip my song on its head and show how smaller is actually better with Pepsi Mini Cans!” said Skee-Lo.
“Pepsi and Shaq have a storied history with one another that has inspired a number of the creative elements within this new Pepsi Mini Cans campaign. We were also able to tap into 90’s nostalgia with Skee-Lo’s iconic “I Wish”, while completely reimagining the track for today given the evolution we are seeing in consumer demand for smaller sized packages,” said Todd Kaplan, Chief Marketing Officer – Pepsi. “We hope Pepsi fans will enjoy the song and commercial – especially the tall ones – as nobody is too big to enjoy the convenience, fun, and awesome taste of our Pepsi Mini Cans!”
