The campaign follows January's "gladiator" epic featuring Pink, Beyonce and Britney Spears, with Enrique Iglesias as a Roman Pepsi-loving emperor. The new ad was created by French agency CLM BBDO and directed by Tarsem Singh, director of the feature film 'The Cell' starring Jennifer Lopez and music videos for REM.
The new spot is called "foot battle" and will break globally in the first week of April. Pepsi is keeping the details of the storyline under wraps until a world premiere in Madrid next week, but it will feature Beckham, along with Francesco Totti and Raul Gonzalez, showing off their football skills.
The Sun is reporting today that Beckham was so enthralled by the leather tunic he sports during the ad that he wanted to take it home. "The costume felt like something out of the films 'Gladiator' or 'Braveheart'," he told the newspaper.
It is the latest in a long line of Pepsi advertisements that tie in with football. Last year's epic was shot in the style of a Western, with Beckham shooting it out with his then-team mates Gary Neville and Ryan Giggs. A 2002 ad showed the glamorous England captain warring it out with a sumo wrestler.
Karen Goffe, marketing director at PepsiCo UK, said: "David Beckham and some of Pepsi's finest football talent showcase their impressive football skills in the medieval-themed ad wearing battle gear as never seen before. The exciting storyline guarantees pure entertainment and brings to life the 'Dare for More' message."
By contrast, rival soft drink maker Coca-Cola has started the year with a low-key advertising campaign created by its new agency Mother. It features a woman walking down the street handing out bottles of Coca-Cola while she sings the Nina Simone song 'I Wish'.
Media planning and buying for Pepsi is by MindShare.
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