Scarlett Johansson's Sultry Sodastream Ad Banned by Fox for Mentioning Coke, Pepsi (VIDEO)
Scarlett Johansson's ad for Sodastream, an Israeli company that allows customers to create their own soda at home, was pulled from Fox stations for mentioning competitors Coca-Cola and Pepsi. The ad featured the actress drinking orange soda and wearing a tight-fitting dress to help sell the product.
Scarlett Johansson's 30-second Sodastream ad was set to air during Super Bowl XLVIII, but no longer after the actress' last line: "Sorry, Coke and Pepsi." The ad shows her taking off a robe and suggestively drinking soda, but it's hardly racy content compared to previous years— the Go Daddy ads, for example, did everything but feature frontal nudity. It was suggested that Fox wants to keep Pepsi and Coke happy, especially since the former is sponsoring the Super Bowl halftime show.
"What are they afraid of?" Daniel Birnbaum, the Sodastream CEO, told USA Today last week. "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."
Get Our Latest News for FREE
Though both Fox and PepsiCo have not commented on the ban, Coca-Cola did confirm that they "did not pressure Fox" and "don't comment on our competitor's efforts."
This isn't the only controversy the ad has caused. Just last week, the actress was criticized by pro-Palestinian activists for working with a company headquartered in the West Bank, an area heavily contested by Palestine.
Johansson issued a neutral statement, saying she "never intended on being the face of any social or political movement, distinction, separation or stance."
"I remain a supporter of economic cooperation and social interaction between a democratic Israel and Palestine," Johansson said, according to the Huffington Post. "SodaStream is a company that is not only committed to the environment but to building a bridge to peace between Israel and Palestine, supporting neighbors working alongside each other, receiving equal pay, equal benefits and equal rights."
