Coca-Cola "Unity"

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The Beijing Olympics kicked off today and TV screens will be jammed with idealized messages of hope as brands spread their one-world mantra in the midst of the blood, sweat and tears of competition. There will be protests by those who disagree with China’s often repressive regime. Advertising, of course, perpetuates the myth that the games stand above global politics. In this Olympics-themed Coca-Cola spot from Wieden + Kennedy, Portland, Ore., the superpowers face off with LeBron James and Yao Ming challenging each other to all sorts of contests — except basketball.

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