King of Pop celebrated at Sumfest

Sheena Gayle, Gleaner Writer

WESTERN BUREAU:

The King of Pop, Michael Jackson, was celebrated in fine style at the 20th staging of Reggae Sumfest as part of Pepsi Jamaica's honouring of the 25th anniversary of his album Bad.

Dubbed the King of Pop Booth, Pepsi succeeded in its attempt to engage the crowd from July 19 to 21 and helped to boost its promotional campaign.

"Globally, this year, Pepsi is working with Sony Music Group and the Michael Jackson Estate to celebrate the 25th anniversary of Michael Jackson's album Bad, and that is where the idea came about - to have his King of Pop Booth at Reggae Sumfest," marketing manager for Pepsi Jamaica, Carlo Redwood, said.

Patrons jumped at every oppor-tunity during the intermission of the main stageshow to perform alongside a King of Pop hologram that was performed by Jamaica's own 'Michael Jackson', Onaje Bell, who many believe did an excellent job at imitating the dance moves of the legend.

JAMAICANS LOVE MJ

"Jamaicans love Michael Jackson," Redwood confirmed. "The patrons really loved it because from the dance crew to the Jamaican MJ dancer, it really had the crowd involved. This interactivity paid off in making the King of Pop Booth a success, and the feedback from the public has been great."

Bad was released on August 31, 1987, and sold an estimated 45 million copies worldwide while spawning five number-one singles in the United States alone. The album peaked at number one in seven countries. This 25th anniversary campaign is designed to celebrate the album's success.

Jackson died on June 25, 2009, after a stellar career spanning more than four decades. He was 50 years old.

At the King of Pop Pepsi Stage, patrons' images were projected on to a screen where a Michael Jackson impersonator appeared alongside them. They would then execute Michael Jackson dance moves in the hologram. The fans who effectively copied the moves won prizes.