One of the most ubiquitous sporting-event anthems in rock history, Queen‘s “We Will Rock You” has received another facelift courtesy of rapper Megan Thee Stallion in Pepsi’s new Gladiator-themed NFL commercial.
You can watch the full three-minute ad below.
After a brief conversation between actors Jake Lacy and Lamorne Morris, the lid of a Pepsi can transforms into a coliseum where gladiatorial games are underway. The crowd stomps and claps to the beat of “We Will Rock You” as the gladiators — NFL stars Travis Kelce, Josh Allen, Derrick Henry and Justin Jefferson — enter the arena.
Megan Thee Stallion then calls for the gates to be opened, releasing a pair of tigers into the arena. The Houston star raps over the Queen track, delivering bars like: “Win, that’s all that we do / Everybody’s watchin’ and they all came for you / Hard work, dedication, an understatement / We fill up arenas that’ll rock the whole nation.” At the end of the commercial, the sand on the floor of the arena gets blown away to reveal a football field.
READ MORE: Brian May’s Battle for ‘We Will Rock You’
Does This ‘Gladiator’-Themed Pepsi Ad Look Familiar? Here’s Why
Pepsi’s new NFL commercial is a remake of the soda company’s 2004 ad, which featured Britney Spears, Beyonce and Pink putting their spin on “We Will Rock You.” (The full ad never aired in America and didn’t become a pop-culture phenomenon until fans circulated it online years later.) That commercial was based on the 2000 blockbuster Gladiator, and the new version arrives ahead of Gladiator II, which is slated for a November release.
Queen Albums Ranked
Gallery Credit: Eduardo Rivadavia