See Steve Martin and Ben Stiller in Pepsi Zero Sugar Super Bowl ads

In a move that spoofs the transactional nature of celebrity endorsers, Steve Martin and Ben Stiller flex their acting chops only too well in separate Super Bowl commercials for Pepsi Zero Sugar.

The ads, called “Great Acting or Great Taste,” follow a similar format and both are directed by Jorma Taccone. They challenge consumers to judge for themselves whether Pepsi Zero Sugar is as good as Martin and Stiller say it is—because they just might be acting.

Pepsi Zero's 30-second commercials are set to run in the first and second quarters of the game, and come from VaynerMedia and Caviar Production. The brand released 60-second versions today.

“My job as an actor is making you believe what you’re seeing is real,” says Stiller, who is shown on a variety of movie sets including a dining scene with Rachel Dratch and an ode to his character from “Zoolander.” “But it’s not real. It’s acting.”

At that point, Stiller tries a Pepsi Zero Sugar. “Wow, that’s really good,” he remarks. “Or was I just acting?”

Martin’s ad is similar, highlighting zany characters such as a plastic surgeon for dogs.

The ads are part of a big effort behind Pepsi Zero Sugar, which was recently reformulated. PepsiCo said it would give away up to 10 million cans in the run-up to the Super Bowl.

The twin Pepsi Zero Sugar ads mark the first time since 2020 that Pepsi has run an in-game spot. In the past two years, the brand focused its Super Bowl marketing on its halftime sponsorship. But that deal ended last year, with Apple Music taking over the halftime show.