Scarlett Johansson strips down for the sake of going “viral” in a new “uncensored” banned Super Bowl commercial for SodaStream, but don’t expect to see much skin.
Fox won’t allow the 30-second spot (above) to air as is because Johansson directly calls out SodaStream’s competitors by saying, “Sorry, Coke and Pepsi.”
See video: Super Bowl XLVIII Commercials: Watch YouTube’s 10 Most-Viewed 2014 Big Game Ads
While many view the “banned ad” strategy as a familiar marketing ploy to boost public interest, the make-your-own soft drink company’s CEO Daniel Birnbaum denied the assumption to USA Today and accuses the network airing the Pepsi Super Bowl Halftime Show of being “afraid of Coke and Pepsi.”
“What are they afraid of?” Birnbaum told the newspaper. “Which advertiser in America doesn’t mention a competitor? This is the kind of stuff that happens in China. I’m disappointed as an American.”
Birnbaum says his company will ultimately end up cutting the controversial taunt to competitors so the commercial can air during Super Bowl XLVIII on Sunday.
Either way, the promise of an “uncensored” look at Johansson has roped in nearly 1.4 million curious eyes since being released online on Monday.
