Fox Drops Scarlett Johansson Super Bowl Ad Over Coke & Pepsi Dig
January 28, 2014
Fox has banned a SodaStream advert, due to be released for the Superbowl, featuring A-list actress Scarlett Johansson.
The ad, which is sexually suggestive, wasn’t banned for its imagery though, but was rather given the flick for having a dig at Coke and Pepsi.
SodaStream CEO Daniel Birnbaum told USA Today that Fox is “afraid” of Coke and Pepsi.
“What are they afraid of?” asks Birnbaum. “Which advertiser in America doesn’t mention a competitor? This is the kind of stuff that happens in China. I’m disappointed as an American.”
SodaStream’s chief marketing officer, Ilan Nacasch, added: “We were very surprised and disappointed when we heard from Fox that they were rejecting that line. This ad is perfectly fine to be aired in the US,” said Nacasch. “We’re mentioning our competitors in a fun, light hearted way. Everybody knows that for many years in the US there has been competitive advertising, not just mentioning the competition but doing comparative advertising.
“Coke and Pepsi themselves should remember that for many years they have been attacking each other with their advertising, including during the Super Bowl. So there is something wrong and shocking in the decision of Fox to not allow this line to be said during the Super Bowl. It raises a lot of questions. Would this have happened if Coke and Pepsi were not two of the biggest advertisers during the Super Bowl day? I don’t know exactly. But I suspect that Fox didn’t want to get Coke and Pepsi upset.”
The unedited commercial has been released on the brand’s YouTube page and has already pulled in over 1.2 million views. Nacasch explained that SodaStream has no plans to stop using the line in future.
Birnbaum says that SodaStream will drop the line ‘Sorry, Coke and Pepsi’ from the advertisement because it has been given little choice.
