Beyonce + Pepsi break The Rules With New, Creative Branding Partnership

BEYONCE + PEPSI BREAK THE RULES WITH NEW, CREATIVE BRANDING PARTNERSHIP by Amy Sciarretto Yesterday Pepsi Beyonce and Pepsi are continuing their relationship, but they are doing so in both classic and innovative ways. As part of a partnership that will span multiple years, Bey and Pepsi will team up for limited edition engagements and a creative content development fund, reportedly worth $50 million in fees. Wait, what’s a creative content development fund? Well, Pepsi is not just about hiring Bey to hawk their products. The soft drink company is actually showing its patronage of the arts and wants to get into the Beyonce business, which is quite a lucrative one, with her albums, touring, House of Dereon clothing line, DVDs, documentaries and more. First, Bey will appear on limited edition cans of the sugary, caffeinated beverage beginning in Europe in March 2013. Don’t her gorgeous face and hot pink lips look somewhat futuristic when transplanted on a can of cola? And check out the other print ad — that’s a lotta Pepsi in that shopping cart. Imagine downing all of that? You’d be bouncing off walls from the sugar rush! But that’s not all. Bey and the beverage giant will partner for a hybrid project beyond standard advertising and commercials. The company will launch a multi-million dollar fund to support creative projects from the beautiful mind of Beyonce. “Pepsi embraces creativity and understands that artists evolve,” Beyonce said in a statement (quotes via The New York Times.) “As a businesswoman, this allows me to work with a lifestyle brand with no compromise and without sacrificing my creativity.” So essentially, Pepsi is allowing Bey to do whatever she d— well pleases… They will just foot the bill. The details of this particular part of the endeavor are still not entirely clear, and they might not be directly connected to Pepsi products, either. The GM at Bey’s Parkwood Entertainment says that it could include videos, live events, photo shoots or anything of the sort. Whatever Bey wants, Bey gets. Why is Pepsi opening its wallet and its image to Beyonce? Well, it can connect the company with music fans and appear as a patron of the arts, as opposed to merely writing checks to pop stars for lending their visage to advertising. The new Bey and Pepsi campaign will be part of the promotional efforts for her next album, the follow-up to 2011′s ’4,’ which is likely due in 2013. Bey also has her high-profile Super Bowl halftime gig coming up on Feb. 3, 2013, another Pepsi-sponsored venture.