Essien, Appiah Join Pepsi Family

Pepsi Cola, the worldwide soft drink brand, has signed two Black Stars players into its general print and electronic media advertising team. The two are Captain Stephen 'Tornado' Appiah and midfield inspiration Michael Essien. The two who play for Fenerbache (Turkey -read) and Lyon (France) respectively have thus joined the glittering Pepsi Stars Family of the world's football superstars. That family currently includes Ronaldino(Barcelona/Brazil), Henri Thierry (Arsenal/France) and Beckham (Real Madrid/England) who featured in dazzling print and electronic, as well as billboard advertising, for the Pepsi brand worldwide. Mr Gabriel Kumi, Marketing Officer in charge of Adverts, Promotions and Events at Beverages Investments Ghana Limited(Pepsi Cola Ghana), disclosed in an interview that the agreement which made Appiah and Essien members of the Pepsi Stars Family was signed on July 1.
Beverage Investments Ghana Limited is the licensed Pepsi International franchise in Ghana. The company has made football-based general advertising a cornerstone of its marketing drive.
That strategy was first developed around the 2002 World Cup event in Japan/Korea and featured Roberto Carlos, Zinadine Zidane, Kanu and Beckham,among others.
Ghana's Appiah and Essien were instrumental in the Black Star's 2-0 World Cup qualifier against South Africa. That victory has brought Ghana to the verge of its first-ever World Cup appearance.
In an interview, Captain Stephen Appiah expressed joy at joining the Pepsi Stars Family. He added that the honour was not just for him and Michael Essien, but indicate growing faith in the current Black Stars team.