This early Pepsi commercial is so innocent, fun and charming that it's practically impossible to believe that simpler times like the ones depicted in it ever existed. A ridiculously simple idea thrown on the screen and it sells the product in a spectacular fashion, a lot better than what the world of advertising
would create in the decades to come (but there's some amazing stuff too).
I'm here after watching a TV special called "James Dean: A Portrait"
where the ad is shown, and this is one James Dean early TV appearances after a successful stage career but before his three unforgettable classics
that made him a legend: "East of Eden", "Rebel Without a Cause" and "Giant". He's not the biggest star in the ad, but it's because of his presence
that his fans watch the piece.
Like the immortalized idea we have of the late actor, the commercial sells its product to teenagers. Here, a group of teens at a store
are bored, but when a pianola starts playing a fun tune out of nowhere (actually Dean is leaning by it and he punches the thing), the fun begins with
all the boys dancing with the prettiest girl, but each boy warns the other that the Pepsi is more interesting so they can have a dance turn with the
girl.
The fun bit is also the most unusual, as Dean doesn't get the girl, yet there's an electricity and a charisma around this small character at the right side
of the screen that you can't take your eyes from him. His character is the one who changes with more intensity, completely bored, then a little annoyed, almost
angry and when the pianola starts playing out, he's all amazed, laughing and embracing everybody. No small parts, only humbling beginnings. And
curious and cute as this one, making the best he could do with he was given. Gladly, this bit of advertising memory survived the test of time 70 years later. It's always cool to see Jimmy Dean. 7/10.
