-- Global Pepsi campaign unites renowned photographer Danny Clinch, six of the hottest street artists & six of the foremost footballers in the world for bespoke art collection

-- Messi, van Persie, Wilshere, David Luiz, Aguero and Ramos featured as never before

PURCHASE, New York, Feb. 18, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- #FUTBOLNOW – Pepsi® today officially announced its global creative curation, uniting the exciting worlds of photography, street art and sport to celebrate "The Art of Football" as part of the brand's 2014 football campaign. Combining world-renowned photographer Danny Clinch, six of the world's leading street artists and some of the globe's best footballers, including Leo Messi, Robin van Persie, Jack Wilshere, David Luiz, Sergio Aguero and Sergio Ramos, Pepsi presents a truly bespoke art collection celebrating the artistry of football.

(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20140217/NY64452)

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20120424/NY93895LOGO)

The resulting artwork – six spectacular 10-foot by 10-foot canvases – was created by emerging artistic talent chosen specifically to represent the vibrancy and spirit of the global players' home countries. Participating artists include the UK's professional doodle bomber, Hattie Stewart, Argentinean urban artist, Jaz, Brazilian illustrator and street artist Ricardo AKN, Barcelona, Spain-based visual artist Zosen, Merijn Hos, visual artists from the Netherlands and Argentinean street artist Ever.

"The Art of Football" collaboration brings the raw energy of street art onto permanent fixtures of art which depict the players – who last month were announced as Pepsi's global 2014 football ambassadors – in a clash of color, energy and movement to bring to life the beautiful game in a powerful, striking way.

To capture the athletes' passion and excitement for the game, Pepsi commissioned lensmen Danny Clinch, whose distinctive, stark, black and white imagery of iconic subjects have earned global accolades. Clinch's images were then enhanced by the six street artists, giving the photography an unbridled creative edge, urban rawness, bold color and sense of movement.

"Photographing some of the world's most rhythmic and energetic individuals in a pure and simple way was a really exciting opportunity. Their individual personalities truly come alive in front of the camera," said Clinch. "Coupled with the chance to collaborate with these amazing artists and have them integrate their art with mine – and mine with theirs – was so creative and inspiring. This project with Pepsi was a personal must do."

Steve Lazarides, gallerist and street art pioneer who discovered world-renowned street artist Banksy, co-hosted the first unveiling of the creative collection in the heart of London last night.

"Using street art over the stark black and white photos of these footballing icons creates a striking image," said Lazarides. "This project provided these artists with the perfect opportunity to showcase their unique styles to a global audience – there's a huge difference between something on the street which a passerby might glance at for 20-seconds and canvases of this magnitude that are permanent pieces of art. This collection manages to fuse the two styles in a very innovative and organic way."

The innovative art collaboration is an important piece of the yearlong Pepsi football campaign.

Kristin Patrick, Pepsi Global Chief Marketing Officer, PepsiCo, commented: "There is an instinctive connection between artists and footballers in their energy, passion and creativity – whether it's on a canvas or a pitch. We were passionate about creating a visual language that brought the energy and movement of football to life in powerful, unique pieces of art showcasing our players in the spirit of now. These are the hero images of this year's global Pepsi football campaign and wonderfully capture our Live for Now brand ethos."

In addition to "The Art of Football" collection, Pepsi will continue to bring fans exciting and engaging content throughout the year – from commemorative packaging featuring the global Pepsi players and a global television commercial to integrations with music, film, digital and interactive experiences – bringing them closer to the game they love.

For more information on Pepsi or "Live For Now" visit www.Pepsi.com.

For the full gallery of images, please visit http://www.pepsico.com/Media/Resource-Center#multimedia-downloads.

Notes to editors:

About PepsiCo:
PepsiCo is a global food and beverage leader with net revenues of more than $65 billion and a product portfolio that includes 22 brands that generate more than $1 billion each in annual retail sales. Our main businesses – Quaker, Tropicana, Gatorade, Frito-Lay and Pepsi-Cola – make hundreds of enjoyable foods and beverages that are loved throughout the world.  PepsiCo's people are united by our unique commitment to sustainable growth by investing in a healthier future for people and our planet, which we believe also means a more successful future for PepsiCo. We call this commitment Performance with Purpose: PepsiCo's promise to provide a wide range of foods and beverages from treats to healthy eats; to find innovative ways to minimize our impact on the environment by conserving energy and water and reducing packaging volume; to provide a great workplace for our associates; and to respect, support and invest in the local communities where we operate. For more information, please visit www.pepsico.com.

About the Artists:

Hattie Stewart – Wilshere Artist– The London-based artist / 'professional doodler' is taking the creative world by storm with her quirky, youthful, comic book-esque magazine covers and shop fronts and recently announced a partnership with fashion designer Marc Jacobs.

Ever – Messi Artist - Nicolas Romero is an artist from Buenos Aires, Argentina, famed for his portraits – using both aerosol and brush-based techniques – influenced by Francis Bacon and Van Gogh.

Jaz – Aguero Artist - Franco Fasoli (known as Jaz) began his creative career in the streets as a graffiti writer. He is recognized as one of the first major writers to begin working in the streets of Buenos Aires in the mid-90s, using graffiti as a way to express himself.

Merijn Hos – van Persie Artist - A Dutch illustrator and visual artist based in the Netherlands. Hos divides his time between working as a commercial illustrator and working on his personal projects, exhibitions and independent publishing.

Zosen – Ramos Artist - The Argentinian visual artist, born in Buenos Aires and raised in Barcelona, has been featured in galleries and streets around the world. Zosen runs graffiti workshops in Barcelona and is a co-founder of street wear label Animal Bandido.

Ricardo AKN – David Luiz Artist - A Brazilian illustrator, photographer and street artist from Sao Paulo, inserting new concepts into urban art. AKN is a plastic artist, illustrator and muralist.

SOURCE PepsiCo