Pepsi and the Sense of Humour of Deaf Culture

Emilio Ferreiro

November 21, 2019

The Super Bowl is one of the most important sporting and social events of the year in the United States, mobilizing millions of people and having millions of spectators around the world. During the Super Bowl, television advertising minutes are the most expensive in the United States.

Pepsi made a risky bet in 2008 by launching a commercial based on a popular, old joke from the Deaf community in Sign Language: Bob's House. And they won.

Imagen del spot Bob's House de Pepsi con los dos actores sordos

Escena del spot (imagen: © Pepsi Co)

An Advertisement with an Award

The spot features two Deaf people in a car who can't remember where Bob's house is, a Deaf friend of theirs. The driver has an idea to find out where his house is, but it's better to watch the video of the spot (in American Sign Language and English subtitles):

The commercial has no sound and won an award for creativity in The New York Festivals in the category of best television commercials. It's obvious that the spot is part of Pepsi's corporate responsibility campaign, but it's also an interesting contribution of Deaf culture to humour and the world of advertising... and more interesting if it also wins awards.

In the following video you can see the filming of the spot (English subtitles):
[Updating 2022-12-18: Sorry, this video was removed from YouTube by the owner]

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