It's the ad that was banned from the Super Bowl. Now it's being aired in Australia. SodaStream has kicked off its controversial spot with sights firmly trained on soft drink giants Coke and Pepsi.
SodaStream is out to ruffle a few feathers. While its previous ads only alluded to the big name rivals, this time, its personal: the rivals brands are clearly visible in the spot.
But taking potshots at the big boys is a classic challenger strategy. And hey, "controversy is a good thing," SodaStream Australia managing director Myles Ancheschi told AdNews. "It gets people talking. We are the little guys taking on two big behemoths, and this is a great way to get some controversy out there.”
The ad, which has begun airing in Australia across multiple sports platforms, was recently banned from being aired during the Super Bowl. It might have been something to do with money, he suggested.
“We sent the ad to CBS,” Ancheschi said. “But they refused to air it.” He pointed to the fact that Pepsi is such a major supporter of the event and conceded that airing the ad might have created “tension”.
Instead of airing the commercial, SodaStream gave CBS an older spot which still had a dig at soda brands but did not specifically name any of them. This replacement ad had actually been banned in the UK last year, but so far, so good for Australia.
“It really shows that we are facing some massive headwinds, and are up against some major global companies,” Anchesi said. “I'll admit that what we are doing is risque, depending on your view of the world.”
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