|
June 8, 2001 Christina Aguilera's Coke ad a hit
Pop fans had been waiting to see if Christina Aguilera's cola campaign would best that of her rival Britney Spears. The Spears ad, which features a creepy cameo from former presidential candidate Bob Dole, received a less than bubbly reception. Not only was the commercial overshadowed by the revelation that the 'Oops, I Did It Again' chanteuse demanded her tour dressing room be stocked with Coke, but polls hosted by AOL and other websites showed that up to 81 percent of respondents preferred the as yet unseen ad by Aguilera to Spears' sexy song and dance themed spot. Ouch! But comparing the two may not be so easy, since Aguilera's ad eschews Spears' boogie woogie routine for light comedy. The spot follows a male fan's visit to the set of Aguilera's latest music video, a prize that was actually part of Coke's 2001 'Pop the Top' summer contest. Every time the singer approaches her skittish admirer to say hi, the poor guy passes out cold. Still, by the end of the commercial he comes to the conclusion that Aguilera might be in love with him. 'This shows how accessible and approachable Christina is,' says Coca-Cola spokesman Mart Martin, who notes that a few shots of Aguilera rehearsing for her music video will be the extent of her performance in the clip. Martin claims that the decision to let Aguilera act instead of warble a jingle a la Spears had nothing to do with the competition's poorly received spot, though he admits that he's 'just thrilled' that Aguilera scored so well in the Britney vs. Christina polls. 'We're not looking to see what the other guy is doing,' he says, pointing out that Aguilera shot a performance-themed ad for her Latin America Coke spot more than a year ago. 'We came out with something fresh and funny, not a reaction to our competitors' advertising.' Whether Aguilera, who dyed her hair a Coke appropriate white and red for the video, will do another commercial for the soft drink is still undecided. But the company is likely to want more ads. 'She's a genuine talent, a lifelong Coca-Cola drinker, and we've had a relationship with her for more than a year now,' says Martin. 'Coke has always been about being real, and we believe Christina's real, too.' Coca-Cola is in discussions with the singer about other opportunities including sponsoring her next tour. - Liane Bonin for Entertainment Weekly |
|
'We came out with something fresh and funny, not a reaction to our competitors' advertising,' says Coca-Cola spokesman Mart Martin. |
|
• Christina fan websites and more • Christina's official biography Site reporters include:
|