Released in February 1989, this was yet another 80s video to cause much controversy!
Soft
Drink giant Pepsi, decided to use the song as part of a commercial
featuring
Madonna. The company struck a deal to sponsor her 1990 Blond Ambition
Tour. The commercial aired twice before the release of the music video
on MTV.
Unfortunately,
Pepsi was unaware of the video's content: Madonna witnesses a murder,
kisses a black saint (St. Martin De Porres), displays stigmata after
cutting her palms on a knife, and dances in a field of burning crosses!
How did they miss all that?
Of course, some religious groups became rather angry and threatened to boycott Pepsi, who
in turn decided to cancel the ad campaign and tour sponsorship, though
Madonna kept the contracted $5 million.
Like a Prayer was one of Madonna's biggest-selling singles, selling over five million copies world-wide during 1989.
