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PepsiCo will air a 60-second commercial filmed in American Sign Language (ASL) during the pre-game show of Super Bowl XLII on 3 February.
The spot was created by and stars PepsiCo employees who are members of EnAble, an employee network whose mission is to promote a more inclusive environment for people with disabilities. Although the ad features Pepsi-Cola and Lay's Potato Chips, the main goal is to bring awareness of the American deaf community to a wider audience. In addition to the commercial, PepsiCo will also be sponsoring the closed captioning of Fox's entire Super Bowl broadcast. Last year, Nielsen Media Research reported 93 million viewers for Super Bowl XLI.
Clay Broussard, PepsiCo employee and project lead on Bob's House, appears in the commercial along with PepsiCo colleagues Sheri Christianson, Darren Therriault and Brian Dowling. Entitled "Bob's House," the theme is based on a popular joke in the deaf community.
The commercial opens with two friends (Therriault and Dowling) driving together in a car at night, on the way to their friend Bob's house to watch a football game. They are stopped on a suburban street where all the houses are dark, with no porch lights or inside lights on. The driver (Dowling) isn't sure which house is their friend's. Communicating in ASL, the two friends blame each other for not knowing Bob's house number. Suddenly, the driver has an idea. He begins honking the horn repeatedly as he slowly drives down the block. Instantly, lights flash on in all of the houses except one – Bob's – the only house unaffected by the noise.
To ensure the message was on target, PepsiCo consulted with the National Association of the Deaf (NAD), who applauded PepsiCo for its strong commitment to diversity. “This ground-breaking ad will heighten cultural awareness by millions of viewers during Super Bowl Sunday," said Bobbie Beth Scoggins NAD President.
To see the commercial and a "making of" the video, visit <http://www.pepsiusa.com/bobshouse>.
The ad is part of PepsiCo’s Performance with Purpose initiative, a commitment to sustainable growth by working with and for communities.