Pepsi to Pop Up Again in Season 3 of ‘Empire’

Pepsi will continue as a big sponsor of Fox’s drama Empire, with integrations and online extensions.

Viewers will be able to get more Empire content via online and social platforms as part of the deal. These include a nine-episode social series called Emerge, six limited edition Pepsi mini-cans that feature custom artwork and lets fans access content via Shazam, and a musical tribute entitled When Cookie Met Lucious featuring Jamal.

Episodes of Emerge will appear on Empire’s Facebook and Instagram pages.

During the season, the singer Tinashe, just named a Pepsi Sound Drop artist, will appear on Empire, working alongside Jussie Smollett, who plays Jamal Lyon.

“Our continued partnership with the biggest show on television signifies both Pepsi and Empire coming together for another round of creative storytelling,” said Stacy Taffet, senior marketing director at Pepsi. “It’s giving fans access to the best of both worlds by combining fresh talent and music from our Sound Drop platform and fan-first experiences to really bring the story to life off the screen.”

In 2015, Pepsi and Empire collaborated on an epic integration in which Jamal was selected to sing in a Pepsi spot.

“Fox is thrilled to partner once again with Pepsi in follow-up to last season’s groundbreaking Empire collaboration that took branded partnerships to a whole new level,” said Bruce Lefkowitz, executive VP of ad sales, Fox Networks Group. “As this robust, new multi-platform initiative with Pepsi shows, advertisers can play big with Fox. We bring innovative ideas and real solutions to our partners that create a better, more immersive experience for our viewers – and that deliver real engagement on every platform imaginable.”

Jon Lafayette

Jon has been business editor of Broadcasting+Cable since 2010. He focuses on revenue-generating activities, including advertising and distribution, as well as executive intrigue and merger and acquisition activity. Just about any story is fair game, if a dollar sign can make its way into the article. Before B+C, Jon covered the industry for TVWeek, Cable World, Electronic Media, Advertising Age and The New York Post. A native New Yorker, Jon is hiding in plain sight in the suburbs of Chicago.