Which singer became Pepsi’s first major music celebrity endorser in a 1983 advertising deal?

Michael Jackson became Pepsi’s first major music celebrity endorser in a 1983 advertising deal.

The partnership placed Jackson and his brothers in a high-profile Pepsi campaign connected with the Jacksons’ music and public image. It helped make Pepsi advertising a central part of popular music marketing during the 1980s.

The campaign is also remembered for a serious accident during the filming of a television commercial in 1984, when Jackson’s hair caught fire during a pyrotechnic effect. The incident led to medical treatment and became one of the most widely reported episodes in the history of celebrity advertising.

Pepsi later worked with many other music stars, but Jackson’s agreement marked a major expansion of the company’s use of contemporary pop-culture celebrities. It is separate from Pepsi’s later Super Bowl halftime sponsorships.