Meadowlands Xanadu, a sports and family entertainment destination in East Rutherford, New Jersey, and Pepsi announced a 10-year tenant/naming rights agreement to create a Pepsi-branded experience featuring America’s largest Ferris, the 287-foot-tall “Pepsi Globe.”

“The Pepsi Globe is an iconic symbol that is reflective of our brand’s identity–-it’s bold, it’s contemporary, and it’s fun,” says Cie Nicholson, SVP and CMO, Pepsi-Cola North America. “Having a visionary partner like Meadowlands Xanadu, who is delivering an unprecedented consumer experience that is environmentally responsible, makes this a tremendous collaboration that fits perfectly with our Performance with Purpose mission.”

The Pepsi Globe will be green powered year round, with energy obtained through the purchase of wind power credits from a Texas generating plant, and it will be at least partially made from recycled materials.

“The Pepsi Globe will be an instant landmark – the signature attraction heralding the premiere entertainment and shopping destination in the country,” says Laurence Siegel, President, Meadowlands Development, the creators of Meadowlands Xanadu. “The great wheel is also a colossal branding opportunity and we are delighted that a company with the power, reach and prestige of Pepsi has joined forces with us to promote their brand and Meadowlands Xanadu. We look forward to an extremely productive and successful relationship.”

Pepsi will offer unique interactive experiences during the Pepsi Globe ride, which will last approximately 25 minutes for a full revolution and offer sweeping vistas of the New York skyline and the Hudson River. Groups of up to 20 visitors each will enter 26 glass-enclosed, climate controlled capsules for the ride of a lifetime.

Travelers approaching Meadowlands Xanadu will identify it by its signature Ferris wheel. The iconic Pepsi Globe will be as recognizable and visible a symbol as St. Louis’ Gateway Arch, Seattle’s Space Needle, or the London Eye.

As part of the 10-year tenant/naming rights agreement, Pepsi will implement a series of promotional activities and tie-ins, including the nationwide distribution of 450 million beverage cans featuring the Pepsi Globe at Meadowlands Xanadu, commemorating the wheel’s grand opening event, and designed by Rodrigo Bilbao, VP – Development Director for Meadowlands Xanadu, and an avid Pepsi drinker. Each year thereafter, Pepsi will distribute millions of Meadowlands Xanadu co-branded cans throughout the metropolitan area.

Michael Kassan of Media Link, an advisor to Meadowlands Xanadu, says, “This unprecedented agreement with Pepsi is the first of many for Meadowlands Xanadu. It sets the stage for all our future sponsorships, and we look forward to welcoming additional brand partners.”

When complete, Meadowlands Xanadu will encompass 94 acres and will feature five distinct Lifestyle Districts: sports, entertainment, youth culture, food and home, and fashion. The project will offer Pepsi an opportunity to build the Pepsi experience and will also provide a host of other significant branding opportunities for other sponsors throughout the development.