Grand Theft Auto gone wussy in Coke ad
Some of us here at Autoblog have always felt a connection with Grand Theft Auto. Maybe it has to do with our daily efforts to wreak automotive havoc on the digital world or our deep-down secret desires to be bad-ass pimp... but certainly NOT pimping Coca-Cola. Such efforts are for polar bears and teeny bopper idols. Sure, we like Coke as much as the next guy and gal (the kind you DRINK, sheesh, we're not kindred spirits with the games' heroes to quite that extent), but Grand Theft Auto is the epitome of "damn the man" ideology.
So imagine our horror as we watched a Grand Theft Auto hero actually pay for his Coke, yank a guy out of his car to give him a Coke too, shove a homeless guy into a convertible full of hot women, thwart an attempt to steal an elderly woman's purse, and commit more good deeds, all while some really happy people sing, "Give a little love, and it all comes back to you, la la la la la la la....."
So, dear readers, does this constitute a sell-out or an ingenious partnership between Rock Star Games and Coca-Cola? You be the judge.
[Source: transportTrends]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
joe 3:32PM (8/23/2006)
very innovative
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Ian 3:38PM (8/23/2006)
There is no specific mention of the Grand Theft Auto series or Rockstar games in this ad... I think Coke is making a joke playing off the popularity of the crime-city-adventure genre of games in general. Watching this does not make me think Coke and Rockstar have a marketing agreement.
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Ian 3:41PM (8/23/2006)
I think it's pretty funny btw... definatly a "smart" ad on Coke's part. One that makes you smile- or not- but either way you remember it.
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Daffy Duck 3:44PM (8/23/2006)
I think it is a very cool ad on Coke's part. It is hard to come up with something different these days in terms of advertising and I think Coke hit it right on the nose with this one. I also agree that there does not seem to be any direct connection with this ad and Rockstar.
I still think it is funny that the cops crash their cars at the end though.
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Eric L. 3:48PM (8/23/2006)
That was an awesome ad!
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rwdmtparkingonly 3:49PM (8/23/2006)
Looks like a rip, the map is on the wrong side and sqare instead of round. Maybe RockStar will get them back in the next GTA game.
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Dane 3:59PM (8/23/2006)
Now, I just feel all warm and fuzzy inside!
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Mike 4:00PM (8/23/2006)
The sell out of GTA? Come on. I think you're taking this game and commercial a little too seriously. It's a video game, not a religion.
Besides, I thought the commercial was pretty clever and humourous.
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CJ 4:02PM (8/23/2006)
I think it's great, fun twist on the video game.
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Jay 4:15PM (8/23/2006)
Yeah, this doesn't appear to be affiliated with GTA at all. If it were, there'd be some mention of the game in the ad somewhere, but everything in it is changed just slightly from how the game actually is, as if Coke wanted to do something in that style but tiptoed around anything that would breach Rockstar's copyrights.
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Bill 4:16PM (8/23/2006)
fantastic Ad. Coke has always had some remarkable ad campaigns and this fits right in with their legacy.
I love the shotgun "cocking" sound when he pulls out the fire extinguisher.
Slick stuff
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cheezedog420 4:20PM (8/23/2006)
NOOOOOOOO! That is SO WRONG On so many levels. F*** coke, and F*** Rockstar, THEY ARE BOTH DEAD TO ME!
Sorry, my inner child had to do that. I actually do like the ad. Its smart, diffrent, and has shock value. All marks of good advertising.
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Cervus 4:22PM (8/23/2006)
Absolutely hilarious, starting from the slamming down of the money on the counter and the clerk going "huh?" to the song and dance at the end. :)
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Mr. Orange 4:25PM (8/23/2006)
ingenious
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Dan from Delaware 4:51PM (8/23/2006)
I thought it was funny, too. The fire extinguisher, the Cluck 'N Bell Guy, and the Biff character were all nods to GTA. It's a big inside joke for GTA fans.
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Covenant 69 5:04PM (8/23/2006)
I don't think GTA has gone wussy at all.... As others have pointed out, there is no specific mention of GTA at all in this commercial. Very innovative on Coke's part, and hearkens back to Coke's past advertising which emphasized harmony and world peace. The idea here is that with a bit of Coke, everything is just right. Good ad IMHO.
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Graham 6:33PM (8/23/2006)
Huh? Rockstar didn't make this ad at all... It's called parody.
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TheRaven 6:43PM (8/23/2006)
Very clever, it sets you up to expect one thing then delivers the opposite in a tongue-in-cheek way.
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JM 6:49PM (8/23/2006)
kind of hypocritical, the whole goodwill thing, given Coke's record with ethics and human rights
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rodan32 7:13PM (8/23/2006)
Yeah, Coke is frickin' Red China. Whatevva, JM. If you want to make a political rant, take it over to MoveOn.org.
As for the ad, pretty slick. It harks back to all the old Coke ads when I was a kid ("I'd like to teach the world to sing. . .") while still keeping up with the times. I thought it was well done.
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