One Direction’s Pepsi Commercial: See The Cute 30-Second Spot

Thirsty for the boys of One Direction? Their fans may have to settle for the drink they’re endorsing — since the handsome Brits have signed on to promote Pepsi in a new commercial for the soft drink, which premiered last night (October 11) during The X Factor. The commercial, or “advert,” since we’re feeling Anglophilic, depicts a serious culture clash as Harry Styles reaches for a can of Pepsi, only to be foiled by NFL star Drew Brees, who wants it too. (It also positions 1D as the latest in a long tradition of pop superstars endorsing soda.)

The two begin to one-up each other: 1D say that they deserve the drink because they have a platinum album, while Brees counters that he won the Superbowl, until both are flanked by screaming choirs of fans. Eventually, after a gripping 15 seconds of this devastating battle of wits, a compromise is reached, which results in Brees singing over the chorus of the boys’ new single “Live While We’re Young.” (Isn’t that pretty much what happened in the Revolutionary War?)

Given that One Direction were formed on the British version of The X Factor, there’s an appealing circularity to the band appearing in a huge commercial during the US version of the very show that launched them, especially now that they’re huge global superstars. The new spot is cute, and most importantly, it probably guarantees that Pepsi will be stocked in about 10 million more American homes by the end of the day. Watch it above.