Feb. 02--Coca Cola has experienced its fair share of backlash. Last year, its Super Bowl "It's Beautiful" ad ignited social media outrage for featuring people from across the country singing "America the Beautiful" in multiple languages.
Some people complained that the song should not be sung in languages that aren't English. Others were opposed to the inclusion of two gay dads in the ad. The outrage then triggered more backlash at those who were outraged in the first place.
So it came as no surprise that the company decided to focus this year's Game Day Ad on making the Internet a happier place.
The commercial, "#makeithappy," starts with a teen sitting at his computer looking at hurtful comments being posted by his peers. Meanwhile, in a server room, a technician accidentally knocks over Coca-Cola into the mainframe.
As "Show Me Love" by Hundred Waters plays in the background, the drink spreads uplifting messages through various technology products.
"We can't solve negativity on the Internet, but we can use the world's biggest advertising stage to drive awareness," Andy McMillin, the vice president and general manager of Coca-Cola Trademark, said in a statement. "If a brand can make people pause for a minute to think about what they're going to say online, Coke is the brand to help inspire happiness and positivity."
The #makeithappy hashatg was trending throughout the Super Bowl. According to ad tracking firm iSpot.tv, it was viewed about 1 million times online since the digital action was tracked for this spot on Jan. 26. There is collectively currently 2,712 total tweets, Facebook likes, Facebook shares, comments YouTube votes and YouTube comments.
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