Madonna Cheers Pepsi for ‘Finally’ Rereleasing Cancelled ‘Like a Prayer’ Commercial, 34 Years Later
Madonna has thanked Pepsi for “finally realizing the genius” of their 1989 collaboration on a TV commercial that was yanked off the airwaves amid controversy, then re-released this Tuesday night during MTV’s VMAs broadcast.
Pepsi back in the day had paid Madonna a staggering-for-the-time $5 million to front an ad campaign for the pop. The deal included a TV spot, which was set to Madge’s new single, “Like a Prayer,” as well as the soft drink titan’s sponsorship of the pop star’s next concert tour.
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But shortly after the commercial was rolled out — first during the February 1989 Grammy Awards, and then during an episode of NBC’s well-watched The Cosby Show — Madonna released the actual music video for “Like a Prayer,” and boy, did it spark controversy. Directed by Mary Lambert, the music video featured Madonna witnessing a murder, her character kissing a Black saint, stigmata, burning crosses, and a slip dress worn as outerwear.
As I was trying to recall/explain to one of my sons a few weeks back, it was A THING.
Because the soda pop commercial used the same song, Christian groups including the Vatican called for a global boycott of Pepsi and its subsidiaries. Pepsi scrambled to distinguish between the two, but ultimately caved and pulled the spot (but let Madonna keep the $5 mil).
Cut to the present day, where Pepsi, as part of its 125th anniversary celebration, aims to “revisit and reimagine the impactful and culture-driving moments fans have cherished throughout the brand’s rich history.” And that included the re-release of Madonna’s “Like a Prayer” spot.
In a Tuesday-night Instagram post, Madonna shared the commercial (watch it above) along with a note that said, “34 years ago I made a commercial with Pepsi to celebrate the release of my song Like a Prayer. The commercial was immediately canceled when I refused to change any scenes in the video where I was kissing a black saint or burning crosses. So began my illustrious career as an artist refusing to compromise my artistic integrity.
“Thank you @pepsi for finally realizing the genius of our collaboration,” she added. “Artists are here to disturb the peace.”
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