Writer who criticized PepsiMax Test Drive Spot Taken for a Ride
Commercials are usually fake. They feature actors and elaborate set ups derived from endless research by creative teams with only one intent – sales. So when a “reality” commercial comes along, many people will call bluff. It seems unlikely that in an industry of so much precision and control that they would stage anything with real people and risk a bad outcome.
But what if your ad was real? You’d want to prove it, right?
This is the issue PepsiMax was up against. Their popular “Test Drive” spot was a hit, but audiences weren’t quick to put their faith in it. It didn’t help that Travis Okulski of auto blog Jalopnik had written extensively claiming the commercial to be 100% fake. How did PepsiMax respond?
See for yourself.
Props to Okulski for handling it with class – at least at the end there. Most people would have had more colorful choice words than “I don’t care for you.” But you know writers – eloquent to the last.
