Arby's creates cheeky ad featuring only Pepsi to fulfill contract

Arby’s is contractually obligated to feature Pepsi in two of its ads every year.

This year, they only mentioned the soft drink in one of them. Arby’s realized the mistake only after all creative spots for the year were completed.

To make amends, the chain opted to take an “unconventional” approach — and commissioned a 30-second spot from Minneapolis-based firm Fallon that focuses entirely on the forgotten beverage.

The commercial’s YouTube description: ”We love you Pepsi. You’re like a meat to us.”

The spot features a glass of Pepsi in front of a white background.

Actor Ving Rhames provided the voiceover:

"Arby’s has an agreement to feature their good friend Pepsi in two commercials a year. Well, Arby’s messed up and forgot about the second commercial. So here it is. Pepsi."

The spot ends with a card that further drives the point home: “Arby’s: We have Pepsi.”

Pepsi accepted the hilarious apology.

“We applaud Arby’s unconventional approach to marketing and when they came to us with this idea, we thought it would be a fun, creative way to highlight our partnership,” Roberto Rios, chief marketing officer for PepsiCo’s food service division, said in an emailed statement to the Wall Street Journal.

The spot will run from December 7 to 13 in the Minneapolis, New York, and Los Angeles markets.