Coca-Cola recently got a kicking from Labour’s deputy leader Tom Watson, who said (at the Advertising Association conference) that the soft drink company should get real and feature hospitalized diabetes patients in its ads, not beautiful, sporty youth.
Watson’s right, but at least the people in this M&C Saatchi spot aren’t idealized – they are regular football fans — and they are drinking only Coke Zero. It’s a gritty and joyful trip around the country, getting down and dirty with real fans from all 20 premiership teams to promote Coca-Cola’s partnership with the league.
There’s a nice ending, where the charming Jesse Lingard pops up, mixing easily with a couple of fans at Old Trafford. The soundtrack is 80s hit, Yazoo’s “Only You.”
There are also some talking fish and chips (the ubiquitous Jermaine Jenas), which give the spot a slightly surreal character that feels borrowed from Nike’s “Nothing beats a Londoner” spot. This one was directed by Stacy Wall, who was also responsible for Adidas’ “Pogba” for 72 and Sunny, and Nike’s “Chalk” for Wieden + Kennedy.
MAA creative scale: 8
