Madonna Demo Tape: Madonna & Pepsi 1989

Some Modern Art, Ad, Business, Pop, History:

In January 1989, while "Like a Prayer" music video was still being filmed, Pepsi Cola announced that they had signed Madonna to a $5 million deal to use her and "Like a Prayer" in a television commercial for them. The agreement also called for Pepsi to financially sponsor Madonna's next world Tour. Madonna would use the commercial to launch the "Like a Prayer" single globally before its actual release—the first time something like this was being done in the music industry. Pepsi went out with their promotional campaign on February 22, 1989, when the company ran an expensive television commercial during the global telecast of the 31st Grammy Awards, denoting the arrival of the actual commercial. A week later, the real ad was premiered at The Cosby Show.
Titled "Make a Wish", the two minute commercial's theme was to portray Madonna taking a special trip back in time to revisit her childhood memories. It started with Madonna watching a video of her childhood birthday party. As she reminisces, she finds herself interchanging places with her childhood self.
An estimated 250 million people around the world saw the commercial, which was directed by Joe Pytka. Pepsi-Cola Company spokesman Todd MacKenzie said that the ad was planned to be aired simultaneously in Europe, Asia, Australia, as well as North America. "Just about every TV set on the planet will have that commercial on", he added. A 30-second edited version of the ad was planned for playing during the summer months.

Reception and protests

The day after the Pepsi commercial was premiered, Madonna released the actual music video for "Like a Prayer" on MTV. She shocked Pepsi executives as well as the media—who were divided on their opinion—with the video. MTV deemed it as "Madonna's most controversial video".
Religious groups around the world started protesting against the video, which they deemed was blasphemous use of Christian imagery. They called for the national boycott of Pepsi.
Pepsi had initially decided to continue airing their commercial, however they were taken aback by the protests. While their executives tried to explain the differences between their advertising methods and Madonna's artistic opinions in the video, the Pope himself got invested in the matter, calling for the ban of any appearance by Madonna in Italy.
Protests from a small Catholic organization in Italy prompted Italian state television network RAI and Madonna's Italian record company,WEA, not to air the video in Italy.
Liz Rosenberg, spokeswoman for Warner Bros. Records in the United States, said that was not the case and that the video had been shown to Italian broadcasters who found no reason not to air it. According to Rosenberg, the clip would begin airing in Italy within two weeks. In the meantime, Pepsi, nervous that the idea they had counted on to generate millions was about to make the company lose a bigger amount, finally caved in to international pressure.
They cancelled the advertising campaign about two days since its release. Pepsi also bowed out of financing Madonna's upcoming tour to promote Like a Prayer. According to Taraborrelli, so eager was Pepsi to extricate themselves from the venture, they even allowed Madonna to keep the $ five million she had been advanced.

"Like a Prayer" is listed as one of the most notable and important videos of all-time, topping a number of video countdowns and critic lists. It topped MTV's countdown of "100 Videos That Broke The Rules" in 2005, and for the 25th anniversary of MTV, viewers voted the video as the "Most Groundbreaking Music Video of All Time".

Before Pepsi Canceled the deal some Cans had been produced and Sold in Germany, anouncing the Like A prayer World.