Ad of the Day: Coke Zero

Is that all there is?

Diet drinks, like life, usually leave you wanting more. Not Coca-Cola Zero. It will satisfy even the most obnoxiously hard-to-please soda drinker, according to Crispin Porter + Bogusky's new spot, which launches this weekend and ushers in a new brand positioning for the zero-calorie cola.

The commercial—running online as a :60 and on TV as a :30—follows a guy who ain't ever satisfied from his youth into young adulthood. He doesn't want a plain cone; he wants it loaded with candy. He isn't impressed by a skateboarding dog; he wants it to be Tony Hawk. He bargains for more from potential employers, and a whole lot more from female clerks at the clothing store. Plenty of good things come his way, but he's always ready with a signature catchphrase: "And?" In the end, of course, Coke Zero stops him in his tracks. Taking a swig at a restaurant with friends, he pauses, flabbergasted—and finally utters a heartfelt "Thank you." The world—or at least some sugar water—has finally met his lofty expectations.

The spot is nicely pieced together, with rapid-fire montages that illustrate the character's overactive imagination. The actor himself, Chad Jamian Williams, has a bit of an Adam Sandler thing going on—contemptible and entitled but in a comically conniving way that makes him somewhat tolerable. (He even looks like Sandler.) And as a simple summation of what consumers tend to crave these days, it doesn't get much more pointed than the word "And."

The ad also introduces a new tagline: "Enjoy everything." But if it teaches us anything, it's that people these days enjoy almost nothing, as they neurotically pursue bigger, better, and more. It seems unlikely that Coke Zero will change any of that. But at least it won't make us any fatter than we already are.

CREDITS:

Client: Coke Zero

Spot: "And"

Agency: Crispin Porter + Bogusky, Boulder, Colo.

Worldwide Chief Creative Officer: Rob Reilly

Executive Creative Directors: Dave Schiff/Alex Burnard

Creative Director: Matt Fischvogt/Shannon Mcglothin         

Art Director: Matt Kubis

Copywriter: Liza Behles

Sr. Integrated Producer: Sloan Schroeder

Producer: Katie Porter

Production Company: Hungry Man

Director: Bryan Buckley

Executive Producer: Cindy Becker

Line Producer: Mino Jarjoura

Director of Photography: Scott Henriksen

Conform/Artist: Tara Demarco

Post Production: The Mill L.A.

Editorial Company: Number 6

Editor: Chan Hatcher

Assistant Editor: Kyle Whitmore

Telecine: New Hat

Music/Sound Design: Comma Music

Integrated Music Producer: Jorge Vargas

Audio/Mix: Lime Studios

Composer: Larry Pecorella

Animation Company & City: Stardust L.A.

Account Director: David Corns

Management Supervisor: Christopher Schneider

Content Supervisor: Drew Widell

Content Manager: Kerstin Ulf

Assistant Content Manager: Josh Lybarger