Ad Watch MMSG Sep'08

Hot: Coca Cola Bird's nest Olympics TVC

5 out of 5

China has faced much criticism leading up to the Olympics and some countries have been more vocal than others, so it's not surprising that advertisers are pushing hard for global unified themes.

Coca-Cola's ads for one depict the company's brand essence called "The Coke Side of Life", and their theme is to bring the world closer together. One delightful TVC features five animated birds from around the world collecting straws to assemble their own Beijing Olympic stadium. They come together in their different colours to watch the opening ceremonies from outside their nest. Live action blends well with computer animation to create a memorable, comical story. What a refreshingly unexpected way of showing global unity without featuring a single sportsman or woman.

Coca Cola's brand tonality is beautifully captured through this quirky execution after its equally enjoyable "Happiness Factory".

This is absolutely my favourite ad during the Games.
 

Not: McDonald's "Bringing people together" Olympics TVC

3  out of five

The next Olympic commercial on the same theme comes from McDonald's, called "The more we get together, the happier we'll be." I must admit that when I first saw it, the song caught my attention.

The nursery rhyme's lyrics are juxtaposed against competitive moments featuring athletes from different races and colours.

Even though the earnest song tugs at the heartstrings, I don't imagine it will stand out amidst the clutter of other Olympics ads after repeated viewing. It feels pretty generic and it could have been for any other Olympics host country, except for the last frame where the logo comes out of a Chinese fan. On the other hand, the Coca Cola's Bird's nest can only stand for the Beijing Olympics.

This might not be my favourite Olympics ad, but I do admire the company as well for its efforts in trying to promote harmony in celebration of the games rather than pushing hard to sell its products.