Companies and Brands

Pepsi Enters Brand Partnership With Baseball Sensation Aaron Judge

Jon C. Ogg

Published: November 13, 2017 12:50 pm

Last Updated: January 12, 2020 6:22 am

Seeing big brands partner with star athletes or celebrities is not exactly a new concept. But signing New York Yankees outfielder Aaron Judge is about as popular as you can get. PepsiCo Inc. (NYSE: PEP) announced on Monday a partnership with Aaron Judge.

While Pepsi has had partnerships within the sports community, Judge is perhaps one of the hottest star names in sports at this time. That status goes beyond just Major League Baseball — all sports.

Pepsi noted that Judge will serve as the face of Pepsi “championing the spirit and excitement of baseball, both on and off the field.”

The hype behind Judge has been monumental throughout 2017. His autographs and sports memorabilia are already commanding a major premium over other current stars playing today and many stars of decades past. Judge was just a rookie in the 2017 season, but 52 home runs in a single baseball season will get just about any sports fan excited.

Judge said of the Pepsi deal:

I am very excited to be working with Pepsi. Having grown up with Pepsi in my home, it makes this partnership even more special. Just like Pepsi, I always try to find ways to celebrate this great sport with our fans. They’re now providing me another way to share my passion for the game.

Justin Toman, Senior Director of Sports Marketing at PepsiCo, said of the partnership:

We are thrilled to welcome Aaron to the Pepsi family. He’s one of the biggest rising stars in baseball and we’re looking forward to working together to engage baseball enthusiasts in new and unique ways next season and beyond.

PepsiCo shares were last seen up 0.9% at $113.80 on Monday, in a 52-week range of $98.50 to $119.39 and with a consensus analyst target price of $122.58.