• by Danielle Oster , April 25, 2025

Pepsi is bringing back Beckham.

Soccer legend David Beckham kicks off a new global campaign for Pepsi, the latest in the brand’s “Thirsty For More” global platform.

Beckham stars in a new ad that opens with the message “Some may say this is…” as footage of various hobbies and activities, from gaming with friends to karaoke, accompany accusations that such pursuits are “a waste of your” time, talent, or money.

Donning a leather biker jacket, Beckham then answers such naysayers with the message, "If you love it, it's never a waste," before taking to the open road on a motorcycle, leading into the “Thirsty For More” tagline.

The ad exemplifies “the mindset of going after what you love—big or small—without second-guessing” at the center of the “Thirsty For More” platform, which encourages viewers to pursue personal passions, according to the brand. Pepsi introduced the spot across its Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok channels.

“This launch is just the beginning. You’ll see it come to life with local activations across the world,” PepsiCo Senior Director of Global Brand Marketing Cathy Graham Kidd said in a statement. “

The campaign arrives shortly ahead of Beckham’s 50th birthday, and continues his long association with Pepsi. “It’s always great working with Pepsi – we’ve been making campaigns together for well over 20 years now,” Beckham said in a release.

Pepsi’s initial partnership with Beckham lasted about a decade, before PepsiCo ended its contract with the expensive star in 2009, looking to cut costs, according to reports  During that span, Beckham starred in a series of high-profile ads for the brand, including a 2002 “Sumo” match, in which he and his teammates took on a group of sumo wrestlers, a “Wild West” ad the following year subbing in a penalty shootout for a duel, and 2004’s “Football Warriors.”

The campaign also comes as PepsiCo navigates the impact of tariffs and economic uncertainty. In reporting the company’s Q1 financial results, PepsiCo updated its full-year guidance to reflect such anticipated negative impacts.