New college football ad debuts

While the Legend of Larry Culpepper may be a thing of the past, the Dr. Pepper Fansville universe has slowly taken on a life of its own. On Monday, the soft drink brand launched a new ad for the college football season that looks like a mini-movie production more than anything else. And in the new era of NIL, it even features a guest appearance from star Texas quarterback Quinn Ewers.

The ad is incredibly self-aware with many headlines coming straight from the college football season and fandom. The new playoff bracket appears in a cornfield. There’s a joke at the expense of Connor Stalions and the Michigan sign-stealing scandal. A fan even expresses her displeasure with conference realignment saying she hates her new conference. Which is totally understandable given that we’ll see classic matchups like Cal-Wake Forest, Arizona State-Baylor, and Washington-Rutgers in the new setup.

There’s also a shoutout to the new CFB 25 video game from EA Sports with adults playing and complaining that it’s unrealistic without Dr. Pepper being represented. Maybe there’s hope when and if Mascot Mode comes back someday.

It’s all a little bit fun and ridiculous, but let’s just remember that Ted Lasso began as a commercial for NBC’s coverage of the Premier League before it became a worldwide sensation and its own Apple television series. Who’s to say the same thing couldn’t happen with Fansville, especially given how rabid college football fans can be?

One thing that the Dr. Pepper ad didn’t poke fun at or acknowledge, though? The ridiculous chest passes for championship weekend that have made their halftime tuition giveaway competition infamous. Perhaps that is still a sore spot for the company and they aren’t quite ready to laugh at themselves just yet.

[ Dr. Pepper ]

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