In a sort of FU to the Recording Industry Association of America, Pepsi has recruited RIAA-targeted file-sharers for an upcoming campaign. The 2o or so teens who have been accused of illegal downloading, will appear in a Pepsi-Cola ad that kicks off a two-month offer of up to 100 million free – and legal – downloads from Apple’s iTunes. The ad, which will air during the February 1 broadcast of the Super Bowl and be seen by an estimated 88 million viewers, is a jab at the download political hot button. Pepsi hopes this move will help teens identify with Pepsi as a company who “gets it” and to bring teens, who’ve shown more affinity for bottled water, energy drinks and the Internet, back to Pepsi products.
