Pepsi Revives Michael Jackson in Marketing Campaign

PepsiCo is resurrecting Michael Jackson to try to pump life into its flagship cola, three years after the singer's death and more than a quarter-century after the pop icon's landmark sponsorship deal to become the voice of the brand, according to The Wall Street Journal.

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Following an agreement with Jackson's estate, the beverage and snack giant said Thursday that it would roll out a billion Pepsi cans with a silhouette of Jackson as part of its newly launched "Live for Now'' global marketing campaign.

PepsiCo and Jackson's estate declined to disclose the financial terms of the latest deal. Jackson signed a Pepsi sponsorship deal in 1984 for a then-record $5 million.

The new campaign is part of PepsiCo's pledge to ramp up spending on Pepsi Cola, which has been losing ground behind archrival Coca-Cola.

PepsiCo is boosting its overall marketing budget this year by as much as $600 million, or about 20 percent.