LONDON & LOS ANGELES, 27 November 2019
Now United and Pepsi® today announce they are to launch a search for a new member from the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) to join the world’s first global pop group, created by music industry icon Simon Fuller. The search follows a stunning live performance from the group last month in Dubai for the launch of Pepsi Black®.
The search will deepen links that Pepsi shares with Fuller and the innovative group, and emphasise the brand’s enduring commitment to supporting emerging music artists in the region and globally. Now United also takes centre stage in the international “For the Love of It” Pepsi campaign.
Fuller said, “Now United is all about incredible young talent coming together to share their passion for music and dance, and to represent their unique backgrounds in a positive spirit. The MENA region has such rich and diverse musical influences. We are looking forward to finding extraordinary talent who will represent the region on a global stage, whether they are from Riyadh, Amman, Beirut, Cairo, or anywhere else in this wonderful part of the world. Pepsi have always inspired and enabled my ambitions, so they are the perfect partner for this unprecedented search.”
Now United and Pepsi are inviting potential group members from across the MENA region to submit an audition video to http://search.nowunited.com. Fuller and the group will then select the best candidates to attend a rigorous audition and boot camp in Dubai planned for late January, from which one candidate will be chosen as Now United’s newest group member.
Group member Shivani Paliwal commented, “We’re so glad to have Pepsi support us in our search. We can’t wait to come back to the Middle East to look for someone to join our family — we know we are going to find someone incredible! ”
Nadim Nakfoor, MENA Franchise General Manager and Senior Vice President, PepsiCo, said, “We are thrilled to welcome Now United back to the region and to partner with them in the search to find their newest member. Pepsi has a long history of working with rising artists, and we can’t wait to see the incredible talent from the Middle East.”
About Now United | Simon Fuller
Now United is the world’s first global pop group. Comprised of 14 singers and dancers from 14 countries around the world (Brazil, Canada, China, Finland, Germany, India, Japan, Mexico, Philippines, Russia, Senegal, South Korea, the United Kingdom, and the United States of America), they have quickly amassed a following of 20 million fans worldwide.
Now United is the vision of Simon Fuller, one of the most respected and successful music entrepreneurs of all time, who has been responsible for over 500 No1 hits worldwide and who inspired the careers of the Spice Girls, Amy Winehouse, Annie Lennox, Kelly Clarkson, and Carrie Underwood.
Follow Now United: YouTube: NowUnited | Instagram: @nowunited | Twitter: @NowUnitedMusic
About PepsiCo
PepsiCo products are enjoyed by consumers more than one billion times a day in more than 200 countries and territories around the world. PepsiCo generated more than $64 billion in net revenue in 2018, driven by a complementary food and beverage portfolio that includes Frito-Lay, Gatorade, Pepsi-Cola, Quaker and Tropicana. PepsiCo’s product portfolio includes a wide range of enjoyable foods and beverages, including 22 brands that generate more than $1 billion each in estimated annual retail sales. Guiding PepsiCo is our vision to Be the Global Leader in Convenient Foods and Beverages by Winning with Purpose. “Winning with Purpose” reflects our ambition to win sustainably in the marketplace and embed purpose into all aspects of the business. For more information, visit www.pepsico.com
Follow PepsiCo Arabia: Twitter: @PepsiCoArabia | Instagram: PepsiCoArabia | Instagram: Pepsi | Youtube: PepsiCoArabia
Search Details
Submissions are being accepted until Sunday 12th January, 2020. Invitations to participate in the audition bootcamp will be sent out shortly thereafter. The Dubai bootcamp is planned to take place at the end of January.
Applicants can submit their videos to search.nowunited.com
For further information please contact:
Julian Henry or Bernie Karkar
XIX London | +44-207-801-1919
Julian@xixentertainment.com
Bernie@xixentertainment.com
Roger Widynowski or Carolina Kalbourg
XIX Los Angeles | +1-310-746-1919
RogerW@xixentertainment.com
Carolina@xixentertainment.com