Yet another example of the challenges of managing a brand’s reputation in the age of consumer creativity, this time from Germany. This fake commercial for Sprite was apparently produced by MTV director Max Isaacson, conducting a ‘social experiment’ – not sure whether that refers to the filming or the sex act it depicts. The high production values meant that most people, including YouTube, believed that it had been produced by the Sprite marketing team. The film was understandably pulled from YouTube, although to those so inclined, it is easily accessible on most video sharing sites. Predictably it has already spawned further sex-related homages to Sprite on YouTube.
The response from the Sprite marketing team will be interesting to observe. They have to be seen to be following the Coca-Cola company corporate line when it comes to inappropriate or explicit content, so expect plenty of public expressions of outrage at how their Sprite brand has been ‘damaged’ by Isaacson’s film. But given the fact that they have spent decades trying to establish Sprite as an adult soft drink, they must secretly be overjoyed at all of the publicity.