JOHANNESBURG – The following are the top television adverts that flighted during the 2010 World Cup that was hosted in the country.
Nike
Didier Drogba, Fabian Cannavaro, Wayne Rooney (at one point living it up fat and bearded in a caravan), Theo Walcott, Franck Ribery, Andres Iniesta, Cesc Fabregas, Gerard Pique, Roger Federer losing at table tennis to Rooney. Ronaldinho, Kobe Bryant, Cristiano Ronaldo nutmegging Homer Simpson and the great Mexican actor Gael Garcia Bernal all feature here.
It ends with Ronaldo about to strike a free kick, the screen goes black and up pop the words: ‘Write the Future.’
As it turns out, Ronaldo didn’t but Iniesta – wearing Nike boots – did.
Pepsi
Firstly, those shirts worn by the players are appalling. Leo Messi, Drogba and Thierry Henry are trying to use their fame out in a market near a rural village - there’s lots of African savanna – and Henry does a “do you know who we are?” with a kid who’s just opened a can of Pepsi.
Frank Lampard, Andre Arshavin and Kaka stop by, and all the players kick a ball around a mobile field. Kaka trips over a meerkat and Messi runs into a tree, he also lands up lost in some very long grass – while a lion grunts nearby. Akon sings something called ‘Oh Africa’ – which is not good.
Coca Cola
Coke asked us to ‘Open Happiness,’ while using Roger Milla’s iconic celebration at Italia 90 to tell us that the veteran Cameroonian striker had not only “taught us how to celebrate, but how to live.” All the while, K’naan’s ‘Wave your flag,’ chimes away in the background.
BP
Featuring, erm, ‘Cafe Owners vs Mamas,’ horrible fake commentary and Shane McGregor as a referee (suspending disbelief is one thing, but Shane McGregor as a referee is taking things too far). The ad ends with the line: “Beyond 2010, there’s a nation united.”
MTN
Excellent little 30 second clip here that starts with a dad teaching his son a chant and then forcing him to shut up.
@shockerhess