SodaStream’s new advertisement features the voice of Sir Rod Stewart as a singing turtle who highlights the problems of single-use plastic. It also stars the Game of Thrones actor and ‘World’s Strongest Man’ Thor Björnsson. The advertisement has attracted over six million YouTube views since it was launched last week.
Opening in a board room where businessman laugh about selling billions of bottles of water, the story then jumps to a choir of idealistic youths singing about living in harmony with the world while holding their single-use water bottles. The singing turtle then enters the scene, carried by strongman Thor. It urges the choir to take a stand against single-use plastic, revealing a mound of plastic underneath them.
Breaking into the boardroom, the turtle exclaims: “Have we gone mad? Why are we killing the only planet we have?” The story ends with the statement that: “One reusable SodaStream bottle could save 2,000 bottles a year.”
The advertisement is part of a Flight Plastic campaign (see https://www.fightplastic.com/) by SodaStream, urging consumers to sign a pledge and stop using single-use plastic bags, straws, cups and bottles. The company is also offering to match consumer donations to the Turtle Island Reservation Network and invites consumers to take part in a competition to win a sea turtle tattoo.
Entitled ‘Time for a change,’ SodaStream’s advertisement has been viewed as a spoof of Coca-Cola’s classic 1972 ‘Hilltop’ ad where a young choir sing the praises of Coke.
Coca-Cola’s competitor PepsiCo is set to acquire SodaStream in a $3.2 billion deal, due for completion by January 2019.
Top: Actress Sarah Catherine Hook, the singing turtle and Thor Björnsson in a scene from SodaStream’s ‘Time for a change’ advertisement.
