Ferraro Will Appear in Ad for Diet Pepsi

Pepsi-Cola USA confirmed Friday that Geraldine Ferraro, the 1984 Democratic nominee for vice president, will appear in a television commercial for Diet Pepsi. The 30-second spot is scheduled to begin airing during the week of March 4.

The soft-drink maker, a unit of Purchase, N.Y.-based Pepsico Inc., had repeatedly declined to discuss published reports about the commercial until Ferraro confirmed to reporters outside her home on Friday that she and her two daughters had taped a Pepsi commercial.

Roger Enrico, president and chief executive of Pepsi-Cola USA who is in Los Angeles preparing for weekend gathering of Pepsi bottlers, said: “She, in fact, has done a spot as part of our new Diet Pepsi campaign, which will debut sometime in the week of March 4.”

The former New York congresswoman is said to be one of a number of high-profile personalities to be featured in the new Diet Pepsi campaign.

The others, according to Advertising Age, a trade publication, are Chrysler Corp. Chairman Lee A. Iacocca, pro football quarterbacks Joe Montana and Dan Marino and ballet star Mikhail Baryshnikov. None has confirmed his participation.

Enrico declined further comment on the Ferraro commercial and would not confirm whether the other individuals are involved in the campaign.

He said details of the new Diet Pepsi advertising will be unveiled at a press conference scheduled for March 4 in New York. He added that Pepsi is working on the final version of the Ferraro commercial.

The Washington Post reported in Friday’s editions that Ferraro was paid a fee of $500,000 and retained “artistic control” over the commercial, which was shot last Friday near her home in Queens.

The Post said that, in the commercial, the 49-year-old Ferraro is neither identified by name nor shown full face and appears with her daughters, Laura, 22, and Donna, 18.

Ferraro’s deal with Pepsi follows a $1-million contract she recently signed with Bantam Books for her memoirs.