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Scarlett's SodaStream Ad Causes Controversy

by Camille Bautista

International company SodaStream drew criticisms for its original Super Bowl ad featuring Scarlett Johansson. In fact, Fox rejected its first ad thanks to just four words featured at the end of the commercial — "Sorry, Coke and Pepsi" — worried about its potential impact on big-name advertisers. That, however, didn't stop the company from taking to social media to rally its fans, creating a poll for the ad and promoting the hashtag #sorrycokeandpepsi. But the spot has caused problems for more than just the Super Bowl's network. Despite the fact that the initial ad itself was quite bland — showing the actress explaining the make-your-own-soda machine... in a sexy way, of course — many criticized Johansson's affiliation with the brand, which operates in an Israeli settlement in the West Bank. (In fact, critics became so vocal about the actress' work with SodaStream that Johansson resigned as Oxfam's global ambassador.)

Still, a Super Bowl SodaStream ad featuring Johansson did air Sunday. After all, this is not the first time SodaStream has hit a roadblock at the Super Bowl: SodaStream's 2013 game day ad, which also took a jab at Coke and Pepsi, was banned for similar reasons. But, this time around, SodaStream made its commercial acceptable for the game... simply by cutting the Coke and Pepsi line. Still in the ad, though? The usually sultry ScarJo hardly blinking throughout her speech. (Seriously, she blinks once. Check it out.)

Click here to check out more of Super Bowl XLVIII's best and worst ads.