in 2009, Brian J. Murphy, executive
VP of branded management at TBA
Global, commented, "You couldn't
separate the tour from the
endorsement from the licensing of the
music, and then the integration of the
music into the Pepsi fabric."
On January 27, 1984, Michael and
other members of the Jacksons filmed
a Pepsi Cola commercial that was
overseen by executive Phil
Dusenberry, a BBDO ad agency
executive, and Alan Pottasch, Pepsi's
Worldwide Creative Director, at
theShrine Auditorium in Los Angeles.
In front of a full house of fans during
a simulated concert, pyrotechnics
accidentally set Jackson's hair on fire,
causing second-degree burns to his
scalp. Jackson underwent treatment to
hide the scars on his scalp, and had
his third rhinoplasty shortly
thereafter. Pepsi settled out of court,
and Jackson donated his $1.5 million
settlement to the Brotman Medical
Center in Culver City, California. Its
Michael Jackson Burn Center is
named in his honor. Dusenberry later
recounted the episode in his
memoir, Then We Set His Hair on
Fire: Insights and Accidents from a
Hall of Fame Career in Advertising.
Jackson signed a second agreement
with Pepsi in the late 1980s for a
reported $10 million. The second
campaign had a global reach to more
than twenty countries and provided
financial support for
Jackson's Badalbum and his world
tour in 1987–88. Although Jackson
had endorsements and advertising
deals with other companies, such
as LA Gear, Suzuki, and Sony, none
were as significant as his deals with
Pepsi, which later signed other music
stars such as Britney
Spears and Beyoncé to promote its
products.
Jackson at the White House being
presented with an award by
PresidentRonald Reagan and first
lady Nancy Reagan, 1984.
Jackson's humanitarian work was
recognized on May 14, 1984, when he
was invited to the White House to
receive an award from
President Ronald Reagan for his
support of charities that helped people
overcome alcohol and drug abuse, and
in recognition of his support for
the Ad Council's and the National
Highway Traffic Safety
Administration's Drunk Driving
Prevention campaign. Jackson
donated the use of "Beat It" for the
campaign's public service
announcements.
Unlike later albums, Thriller did not
have an official tour to promote it, but
the Victory Tour of 1984 headlined
the Jacksons and showcased much of