At just 24 years of age, Julia ‘Jules’ Dougall has achieved what some high-flying marketing execs and even seasoned music composers spend a lifetime chasing — the chance to create a soundtrack for a global advertising campaign.

“I can’t believe I’m 24 and living my dream,” she quips ahead of sharing her story in an exclusive phone interview with SO on Good Friday.

The young Jamaican commissioned the writing and producing of Oh Africa — featuring the voices of her celebrity friends, Atlanta-based R&B stars Keri Hilson and Akon — which was used as the song for the 2010 Pepsi World Cup Commercial.

“I had the song written and produced and then sold it to Pepsi,” Dougall says matter-of-factly, sharing too, that Pepsi is known for its massive global campaigns dotted with the day’s hottest stars.

“Four years ago Ricky Martin did the music,” Dougall says, noting that it’s even more of an honour because the campaign comes every four years and airs in all Pepsi territories around the world, as opposed to the more country-specific ones commissioned by the soda giant.

“In September 2008 I heard that Pepsi was looking for a song and an artist to represent them for their World Cup 2010 ads and I made it my mission to be the one to deliver!” Dougall tells SO. “At the time this seemed like a distant dream as the odds were against me. Surely a big agency would come in and land the project, but I was determined!”

Dougall’s determination has certainly paid off since the track has earned its place in pop culture history, as the 2010 campaign marks the first time Pepsi has accompanied the soundtrack for an ad with an official music video.

“Through my work I’ve met some of the most talented writers and producers in the business. Rock City (songwriters from the Virgin Islands) and AJ (a producer signed to Usher) wrote and produced Oh Africa for me. With the World Cup set to be in Africa, I knew that Akon would be the perfect artist and with a little convincing, he agreed.”

“They (the Pepsi marketing executives) loved the song so much and thought it could make a huge profit for charity,” Dougall shares, ahead of mentioning that all proceeds go to son of Senegal Akon’s charity in Africa, called the Konfidence Foundation.

The commercial, shot last June in Johannesburg, South Africa — the home of the 2010 FIFA World Cup which opens on June 11 — not only features Keri and Akon, but also the Pepsi-sponsored star players Lionel Messi, Thierry Henry, Ricardo Kaká, Frank Lampard Arshavin and Didier Drogba.

The commercial illustrates the footballers squaring off with young fans, the children from a small African village, under the scorching sun for an ice-gold gulp of that black gold. The challenge heightens as scores of villagers emerge from the horizon, gathering around the players and forming a human rectangle, or better still, a makeshift football pitch.

The commercial was shot before the music video, which was shot last Novemeber.

“Akon, Keri and I, along with 20 contestants from around the world who won a chance to be in the Pepsi Oh Africa Choir flew to LA to shoot the music video.” Dougall says, “It was an amazing experience.”

She continues to share highlights of her experience thus far… think being whisked to the Grammys twice, having people like Usher and Keri on speed dial and oodles more behind-the-scenes perks.

She’s moving to LA in three weeks to further cement herself in the rough and tumble milieu that is the music industry and she’s facing it all like the feartless businesswoman she intends to be.

“I am going there to run a production company that Keri Hilson is starting, where we will sign artists and producers. I am actually going to LA on Monday (tomorrow) to go into the studio with an unbelievably talented young girl that I’ll tell you more about soon!”

Dougall shares, too, that she plans on working with Ethiopia Habtemariam, who is Keri Hilson’s co-manager and “one of the most respected Music Publishers in the business and DJs”. Habtemariam’s company Fakework has some of the top producers and writers in the game.

She’s proud of her accomplishments, but still believes there’s miles to go as she says: “I feel so blessed by the life I’ve been able to live so far. Ive always lived in faith, often not being able to explain why or what I’m doing to anyone because at the time it didn’t make much sense! I just believed!”

Song lyrics – Oh Africa

Oh Africa…

I know that we have to take it to the goal ’cause everyone’s depending on we

See we ain’t got nowhere to go but up, it’s our destiny

We’re choosing the way, we’ll do what it takes to get to the top of the highest mountain

We’ll do anything, we got to prove ourselves ’cause we know

Oh Africa…

See we’ll never be able to forget this day ’cause it’s the greatest day of our life

See no matter what happens at least we can say “we came, we saw, we tried”

We’re choosing nowhere, we’ll do what it takes to get to the top of the highest mountain

We’ll do anything, we got to prove ourselves ’cause we know

Oh Africa…

This is our time to shine, our time to fly, our time to be inside the sky

Our time to soar, our time of song,, the last one in football

Oh Africa…

– performed by Akon and Keri Hilson