Remember that Pepsi Max ad we didn't like? Guess who else hates it?

dusty

lol lol I think its great but america isnt ready for it..just like if the guy was a black man and the woman was white...not ready for it... so ya i think it was great...i by no means thought that by drinking pepsi max that itd make u gay...lol

*swoon*

You don't have to take the blame for anything you don't want to, sweetcheeks. 

I can only assume the AFA have decided that, as the parent company (no pun) of Pepsi is American, then their interests abroad are fair game too.  However, the minute, the SECOND one of the slimy, bottom-feeding, mouthing-breathing pieces of pond life that is the AFA so much as sets its in-bred tentacle on my turf, they'll be saying their prayers for a whole different set of reasons. 

That's not a threat, it's a statement of fact.

Big love to everyone else over there. x 

I think the friends are more 'Say Wha'?' than disgusted.

I think it bears stating that this is part of a large ad campain going on for Pepsi over on this side of the pond. We already know the message is going to be 'Pepsi gives you the confidence to go after what you really want' from the other ads.  The whole 'Pepsi makes you gay' conotation didn't even occour to me until you said it.

I would have to agree, they look more suprised than disgusted, and if this is a UK advert, we do not "say wha'" but we may on occasion wtf, and feel very naughty.

So there.

xxx

It's no surpise that the AFA is complaining about something happening in the UK. Whenever there has been legislation going through Parliament, it's been noticeable how many of the politicians - particularly in the House of Lords - have researchers from various American evangelical/fundamentalist groups feeding them with arguments on why the gays must be discriminated against. It's never been a pretty sight to behold - not only does one feel disgust at the interference in British affairs by another nation, but one also ends up holding one's own politicians in contempt (which isn't new, but it adds hue and nuance to the breadth of that contempt).

I really hate that advert. I had to write a giant angry rant on my blog after I saw it. What made it worse was that a got linked from another queer media blog (no where near as great as you guys) they said it was a step forward to gay representation and that we should write to Pepsi thanking them. Nope, won't be doing that.

Luckily I've only seen it online so far, if I watched more tv I probably would have seen it by now and may have thrown something at the tv. 

Well I don't think it's a very good advertisement as far as ads go. I mean, does it doesn't make me want a pepsi, (where as the pepsi comercial showing soda poured over ice makes me thirsty and the ones with jingles get stuck in my head forever), nor does it exsplain what pepsi max is, apparently it's like Coke zero but with pepsi so it has no calories but still tastes good. I mean, you'd think there'd be a slogan, like, Maximum flavor, zero calories, to exsplain what it is, and why I should drink it. Or maybe a tag line to go along with the ad, Pepsi Max, go for what you really want. Which goes with theme of the ad, and plants the thought in your head that Pepsi Max is what you really want. Maybe I just like comercials that actually sell the product. I also couldn't help thinking "they're in a pub, why not drink alcohol to get the courage to talk to someone," but comercials aren't supposed to make sense.

However, it does grab attention, and leave you thinking about it. So it suceeds in standing out from thousands of other comercials you see everyday. 

IAs far as gay content, it's not offensive, I don't think so, maybe cut the part where the friends give each other the "wtf" look. (which looked more like shock and confusion/inability to act than disgust to me) And yeah it's definately going to make the Fox news people angry and the "christian" media watchdog groups whoever they are. 

...is that it took too long for him to get to the hot guy at the bar.

One "I'm not going after the chic" moment was more than enough.

The AFA's opinion on the ad does not change my opinion on the ad ---don't find it offensive but the last couple of seconds do not work for me at all.   

Given the history of the AFA the mere presence of anything "gay" would set them off. The ad could have had the hot hunk turn down the Pepsi drinker in a homophobic manner, we could all have hated the ad and be starting to call for a boycott of Pepsi, but the AFA would still take issue with the ad for fact that it showed a person who is gay. The AFA does not find the ad objectionable because it promotes the "gay lifestyle", the AFA is upset because it shows that gays exist.   

Not serious! But I think that the majority of "us" weren't offended by the ad. And, Snicks, though I love you,  were you serious or just being your ususally arch self?

I don't see what the big deal is here: Cute guy is egged on by friends, drinks Pepsi Max, walks past cute booky girl and blonde bombshell in a little black dress to go for the quite cute guy at the end of the bar. Friends might be surprised but in a "Um, okay, that was unexpected" way rather than a "OMG, gross!" way. 

I don't think it's a totally revolutionary ad but I like it. I like it better knowing that the AFA hates it. 

I thought this ad was inoffensive, though a bit tired - do what makes you happy, not what others expect - didn't another brand tell us to 'just do it'? Whatevs... 

However, I think US readers may have missed an important, subtle clue available to UK viewers watching this ad. Of the two friends, the one on the left is (dubbed) to be English and the one on the right to be American. At the end, the English guy has a surprised, 'Who knew?' expression, while the American does look a little skeeved. But since the British perspective is that the US is weirdly hung up about (homo)sexuality, the friends' accents reinforce the message that the drink gives you the confidence to go after what you really want, and to ignore your dumb (i.e. American) friends. Never underestimate the subliminal power of anti-Americanism in UK pop culture, especially since 2003.

An additional element of this dub is that it's the American who hands our hero the drink can in the first place - acknowledging the brand as an American one, but encouraging viewers to appropriate it for their own radical (i.e. gay!) purposes. We may have followed you into Iraq, but you can't control what we do with your sodas. Take that, AFA!

It will be interesting to see if the voices dubbed on the ad in other markets are chosen to imply that the friend on the right is, er, 'on the right' politically - and perhaps also a bit of an ass.

I think its a good ad. It caters to plenty of audiences, with those that would have prefered the bookish girl who reads in a pub (very realistic, that) or the crazy blond in the skimpy outfit just begging for sex (seriously though, did we need that close up of her biting her lip?) and then, with a nod to exactly how confident the Pepsi Max will make you, he goes for the hunky guy behind the women (who really deserved the close-up).

I love the thought that this ad is saying something along the lines of "it makes you gay" but, sadly, it isn't so. If it were, I'd start passing out Pepsi Max like crazy. 

In the end though, I really think the ad isn't about being gay or his friends appreciating it or not, its about how confident the soda will make you. So, really, the rest is kind of gravy on the cake. 

I like this type of ads. Why? Because I feel that the message to the straight viewer always is that anybody can be gay (in a positive sense). That gay comes in all shapes and sizes and all kinds of corners. Might be the dad fixing his son breakfast, might be the guy having a beer with you, might be the hot guy on the street. It's everywhere and it's cute and bouncy and fun. And the message to the straight viewer is don't assume anything/don't think that you know it all.

There might be better or worse executions of the idea, but IMO the idea is still fun and valid. 

has been running the ad..  didn't a US beer commerical have a similar theme?

...and I was kind of stunned by the AfterElton response to it. I thought "does anything meet your approval?" 

My guess from seeing the ad, though, is that Pepsi Max is a high-caffeine drink being sold to cash in on the Red Bull market. That would go with the "Be anything you want to be" message.

I really enjoyed the commercial.  I only wish i could have seen it for the first time without knowing the "punchline".  The fact that the AFA doesnt like the commercial is really irrelevant to me since nothing they say or do is of any real importance.

But I'm not sure I've ever seen it before where it left me smiling, as opposed to throwing up a little.  The positive spin, to me is a notable change in tone, say compared to the Snickers ad?

Creativity in Hollywoodis at an all time low - how many sequels, prequels and reimaginings are coming out compared to original fair?  If they're going to recycle the same old gags, I, for one, am at least glad the punch line has changed. 

"In bed with "Quackers" Wild-Man and the American (Fascist) Family(??!!) Association? Oh, man! THAT image just cost me my ability to "up periscope" for about ... oh ... a CENTURY (chuckle).

 The AD'S just FINE.

I loved it when I first saw it yesterday, and love it even more knowing that it has caused the AFA to once again put their ugly hearts on their sleeves...

Especially love the fact that the ad throws us all a curve-just like life-and lets it be known that, mercy be, not everyone is straight.

Good for Pepsi.  I hope it shows in the States.

Bert