Pepsi is doing a 2021 Super Bowl halftime show — with or without a game

While people like to rag on Canada for a variety of groundless reasons, the country is undeniably good at producing chart-topping artists. Among the exports:

• Celine Dion
• Shania Twain
• Drake
• Justin Bieber

Recently, another top Canadian music act, The Weeknd, got picked to be the 2021 Super Bowl halftime show performer (in a follow up to last year’s show with Shakira and J-Lo breaking the internet).

No one knows what the next Super Bowl will look like

Scheduled for February 7, 2021, in Tampa Bay, Florida, Super Bowl LV will have to contend with the 400-lb. offensive lineman in the room: COVID-19.

The NFL has already had to postpone games this year and cancel its all-star event, the Pro Bowl.

But even without a Super Bowl game, halftime sponsor Pepsi says it’ll go on with the show.

Why?

According to Pepsi’s CMO (North America), Greg Lyons, there are several reasons the brand will do this:

• Marketing: Pepsi had a $40m ad spend for 2020’s Super Bowl. In general, it’s the company’s biggest one-day marketing spend of the year.
• Logistics: Production is planned around the Super Bowl: 20% of the company’s snacks are made 6 weeks prior to the big event.
• In-store sales: The Super Bowl typically gives a sizable boost to Pepsi products at brick-and-mortar stores.

So, a Canada-infused halftime show is happening whether we like it or not. In the words of our resident Canuck, Trung: “Deal with it 🇨🇦.”