Virgin Cola's Renegade Branson Adds His Own Punch To Cola War

Virgin chairman Richard Branson issues a challenge to Coca-Cola and Pepsi-Cola in a new TV spot from Ground Zero supporting the U.S. launch of Virgin Cola.
The 30-second spot, which breaks today, shows the British entrepreneur standing on a Virgin Cola soapbox on Ellis Island. “Last year Coke and Pepsi spent half a billion dollars on advertising and said nothing,” Branson says. He then invites viewers to step up and “say something” from the box on July 4, and challenges Coke president and chief executive Douglas Ivester to be the first to do so.