The Ambush
The Experience
The Statement
FIFA World Cup 2026 · Premium Ambush Marketing Presentation
The World Cup
Ambush
FIFA World Cup 2026 • Across From MetLife Stadium • East Rutherford, NJ
This is Pepsi's chance to own the most aggressive off-campus brand move of the tournament: the closest large-scale hotel takeover directly across from MetLife Stadium. Exterior domination. Interior transformation. VIP hospitality. Social energy. A premium ambush marketing play that turns one building into the brand destination of the World Cup.
Not just guerrilla marketing. The biggest ambush marketing statement outside the stadium.
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The Ambush Opportunity

THE BIGGEST PREMIUM AMBUSH
AT METLIFE

This is the biggest premium ambush marketing opportunity surrounding MetLife Stadium. Twenty-one stories. 40,000+ square feet of Pepsi wrapping two full building elevations. Visible from the highways feeding MetLife, from the airport approach, from broadcast approaches, and from every arrival sequence that matters. Tens of millions of travelers. Billions of impressions. One brand claiming the skyline before fans ever reach the gates.

#1
Premium ambush position
21
Stories of stadium-adjacent visibility
40,000+
SF of branded exterior wrap
8
World Cup matches at MetLife
The Property

21 STORIES OF AMBUSH

The largest full-service hotel directly across from MetLife Stadium. Two full building elevations wrapped floor to ceiling. Permitted. Approved. Impossible to miss. A Pepsi statement planted in the most concentrated World Cup media zone coming to New Jersey.

Exterior Takeover

FROM HOTEL TO BILLBOARD

Every fan driving to MetLife, every media crew on approach, every executive arriving from the airport — they all see this first. Twenty-one stories of Pepsi domination visible from every highway, flight path, and arrival route feeding the stadium. No one gets to the World Cup without passing this building.

Existing hotel exterior Pepsi wrapped exterior
Today
Pepsi Wrap
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Full Building Wrap

NORTH SIDE / SOUTH SIDE

Two full elevations wrapped floor to ceiling. Every angle of approach is covered — there is no way to reach MetLife Stadium without seeing this building.

North side building wrap South side building wrap
North Side
South Side
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Exterior Activation

THE FIELD BECOMES THE ARENA

The open field transforms into the Gatorade Battle Arena — a large-scale outdoor activation destination visible from the stadium corridor.

Current open field Gatorade Battle Arena activation concept
Current Field
Battle Arena
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Arrival

CHECK IN TO PEPSI

The lobby becomes a fully branded Pepsi welcome. Self-check-in kiosks, digital surfaces, product placement, immersive blue lighting, and a first impression that says this is Pepsi territory.

Existing self check in lobby Pepsi branded self check in concept
Today
Pepsi Arrival
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Guest Rooms

ROOMS THAT EXTEND THE BRAND

Guest rooms become branded hospitality suites with Pepsi touchpoints throughout. Welcome moments, custom amenities, in-room messaging, minibar integration, and subtle brand presence that keeps the experience premium.

Existing guest room Pepsi branded guest room concept
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Pepsi Room
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Meeting + Hospitality

THE BALLROOM BECOMES HQ

A flexible branded environment for executive meetings, hospitality programming, sponsor entertaining, press, and private events. From daytime dealmaking to nighttime activation, this becomes Pepsi command central.

Existing ballroom with round tables Pepsi branded ballroom rendered concept
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Ballroom Render
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Food + Beverage

THE GATORADE BAR

This is where PepsiCo expands beyond Pepsi. The downstairs bar becomes a live Gatorade activation with hydration energy, athlete adjacency, bold brand visuals, and a portfolio statement that feels bigger than a single-logo takeover.

Existing downstairs bar as currently built Gatorade bar branded concept rendering
As Is
Gatorade Render
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Lifestyle + Lounge

THE LOUNGE BECOMES SOCIAL CURRENCY

This is where premium hospitality turns into content, casual meetings, and constant brand presence. The lounge is not filler space. It becomes a living-room-style PepsiCo hosting environment that people sit in, post from, and remember.

Existing lounge or chill area PepsiCo lounge rendered concept
Today
Lounge Render
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Beyond The Interior
THIS IS A FULL CAMPUS PLAY, NOT JUST A HOTEL INTERIOR
What shows up on the outside matters just as much as what happens inside. The wrap announces Pepsi to the market, and the exterior entertainment campus extends the experience into branded programming, watch-party energy, hospitality, and merchandise flow across the full property.
Area A
Entertainment

A branded outdoor event zone for live music, DJs, talent moments, fan energy, nighttime programming, and culture-forward activation that keeps Pepsi in the social conversation every day of the tournament.

External energy driver
Area B
Hospitality

A dedicated exterior hospitality zone that extends premium hosting beyond the ballroom, giving ESI another controlled place for client entertainment, arrivals, branded food and beverage, and curated VIP experiences.

VIP hosting extension
Area C
Merchandise

A clearly defined merchandise footprint for retail, giveaways, limited-edition drops, and guest interaction. It turns pedestrian flow into brand engagement and gives the property a visible public-facing commerce moment.

Retail + engagement node
Exterior Programming

TURN THE RED ZONE INTO AN EVENT CAMPUS

The large red entertainment zone is not just support space. It can hold approximately 3,000 to 5,000 guests, creating a standalone Pepsi destination for people who are not even staying on site. Concert programming, fan events, live content, and nightlife all move the takeover beyond the hotel and into a true World Cup campus.

AREA A CAN HOST
3,000–5,000 PEOPLE

This is the scale advantage. A true external gathering zone for entertainment, branded programming, and crowd energy that lives outside the four walls of the hotel. It gives Pepsi a place to entertain at volume, activate culture, and stay visible deep into the day and night.

Concerts
Talent Moments
Fan Programming
Night Activation
3K–5K
Approximate External Capacity

A scalable outdoor audience zone that can function independently of guest-room occupancy, creating a true public-facing Pepsi presence throughout the tournament window.

Pepsi entertainment zone concept

Area A

Pepsi Entertainment Zone

A high-energy outdoor concert and event environment built for live performances, DJs, culture-forward programming, and large-scale fan moments. This is the loudest external expression of the takeover.

Large-scale external energy driver
Live watch party concept

Area B / Programming Layer

Live Watch Nights

A branded viewing environment for nights when the property is programming the World Cup experience beyond the live MetLife matches. A reason to gather, stay longer, and keep the campus active every day of the tournament.

Watch-party environment
Merchandising Placeholder

Area C

Merchandise + Retail

A visible retail and giveaway node for limited drops, branded items, gifting, and public interaction. Once the merchandising render is ready, it plugs directly into this part of the exterior story.

Placeholder until final render is uploaded
The Complete Layout
EVERY TOUCHPOINT. EVERY MOMENT.
The opportunity is bigger than the building wrap. This is a 45-day branded campus with hospitality, entertainment, content, watch parties, and product immersion built into the entire guest journey.

Entertainment Zone

A dedicated external event campus for live performances, DJ sets, and branded programming that keeps Pepsi present before, between, and after the stadium moments.

  • Large-scale exterior programming zone
  • Concert nights, DJs, and talent-driven activation
  • Designed to host thousands, not dozens
  • Daily social content and branded crowd energy
  • Independent draw even for non-hotel guests
3,000–5,000 Potential Guests

Watch Party Environment

A property-wide viewing and gathering ecosystem that keeps match energy alive well beyond the live games at MetLife.

  • Live watch parties across the tournament window
  • Programming for non-match nights and secondary game days
  • Outdoor screen moments and branded seating environments
  • Food, beverage, and social hospitality wrapped into the experience
  • Designed for repeat attendance and repeat impressions
45 Days of Programming

Hospitality + Retail

Premium guest experience, exclusive merchandise, branded food and beverage, and the full PepsiCo portfolio activated across the campus.

  • Exterior hospitality zone extending the premium guest journey
  • Merchandise and giveaway footprint for public engagement
  • Gatorade, Pepsi, and broader PepsiCo portfolio moments
  • VIP hosting across interior and exterior environments
  • A complete tournament-long activation platform
Full Portfolio. Full Experience.
Guerrilla marketing at the exact scale this moment demands.

Not another media buy. Not another branded hotel room block. A takeover people drive past, arrive into, stay inside, post from, entertain in, and remember. This is ESI's chance to put Pepsi at the center of the World Cup conversation in the New York market.

WHAT PEPSI GETS
A complete World Cup ambush platform. Exterior dominance, interior control, branded hospitality, exterior activation, watch-party energy, and a content engine that works every day of the tournament.

Media + Visibility

21-Story Building Wrap40,000+ square feet across two major elevations facing the MetLife corridor.
Prime Stadium AdjacencyOne of the closest full-service hotels to MetLife Stadium and the tournament traffic pattern.
Arrival Sequence OwnershipFans, media, guests, and executives encounter Pepsi before they ever reach the gates.
Skyline StatementA singular off-campus branding move sized to feel unavoidable, not incremental.
Content EngineEvery arrival, facade shot, lounge post, event, and watch party becomes shareable branded content.

Hospitality + Experience

Hotel-Wide Brand ControlLobby, check-in, guest rooms, ballroom, lounges, bars, and shared spaces all aligned under one story.
Ballroom HQA premium base for meetings, sponsor entertaining, press, and private event programming.
Gatorade Bar ActivationA portfolio-level moment that broadens the story beyond Pepsi alone and brings PepsiCo depth into the property.
Branded Guest StayRooms, amenities, messaging, and hospitality touches that extend the takeover beyond public spaces.
VIP Hosting PlatformA real place to entertain executives, clients, creators, and invited guests throughout the 45-day window.

Entertainment + Activation

Entertainment ZoneA dedicated external event campus for live performances, DJ sets, and branded programming.
Watch Party EnvironmentA private property-wide viewing ecosystem that keeps match energy alive beyond the stadium.
Hospitality Exterior ZoneOutdoor hosting space that extends the premium experience beyond the ballroom and lounges.
Merchandise + Retail ZoneA visible activation point for drops, gifting, retail, and guest engagement.
45-Day Program WindowNot a one-night event. A full tournament-long operating platform with repeat touchpoints and repeat impressions.