A TV commercial for your consideration: POLL

An Argentinian Coca-Cola commercial for your consideration.

Let’s have a poll!

Pick your best answer and discuss (if registered and approved) in the combox, below.

If you vote “Stupendous!” or “Blech!”, you had better explain yourselves!

My reaction to the Cola Cola commercial, is best characterized on a scale as:

View Results

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About Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

Fr. Z is the guy who runs this blog. o{]:¬)
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59 Comments

  1. iPadre says:

    Awesome! True to life. It’s not easy, but a new life is welcomed with joy.

  2. mamajen says:

    I voted 1 – that was great! I can totally relate to all of it. It’s funny being completely overwhelmed with joy and frustration multiple times over the course of one day, but that’s where I’m at.

    I like this a lot better than the pregnancy test commercials in which they never show the result, so it’s up to the viewer to decide whether the couple is happy they’re having a baby or happy that they’re not.

  3. Wiktor says:

    So unexpected.
    We need more of this – to counter all those bad messages.

  4. Kathleen10 says:

    Loved it! Especially the way you can’t tell how the father feels and then you do. It’s a happy mix. It’s life and the celebration of it. It’s interesting how the feel is retro, and certainly the music is, since that is a BeeGee’s song. It has the look of the 60’s. The current culture is apparently out of fresh ideas and in order to do “sweet” they have to look backward. That’s ok. I prefer it myself.

  5. ncstevem says:

    Well I’m in the position of the husband at the end of the commercial.

    My wife and I married later in life – early 40’s for her, mid 40’s for me. After 5 years of marriage and three miscarriages my wife is now 5 months along with our 4th child – a girl. My wife is a pediatrician so we’re saying lots of prayers to St. Gianna Molla.

    Unfortunately my wife is in the middle of residency (foreign doctor having to repeat to be licensed in the US) living in a different city from our home. Needless to say I’m more than a little concerned for her and our daughter and making this all work.

    So I ask for your prayers for my wife, our child and me.

    St Gianna, pray for us and all expectant mothers !

  6. Kerry says:

    No “punished with a baby” there, wot?

  7. majuscule says:

    And I understand its a commercial from…

    …Argentina…!

  8. OrthodoxChick says:

    I hope Coke makes an English version of that to air in the U.S.!

  9. rcg says:

    This is great! I am sure everyone knows this: children are like fires; it is very hard to control one, so you need several to help burn each other out.

  10. Thomas in MD says:

    I voted stupendous: I am a parent. ‘Nuff said.

  11. Robertus Pittsburghensis says:

    Stupendous! I’d love to see more of this attitude here in the US.

  12. Jim says:

    @ncstevem
    You are in my prayers. I am in the same position as you – 5 years happily married. We’ve lost 7 children in miscarriages and my wife is pregnant with our 8th baby – just four weeks behind your little girl.

    St Joseph, St Gianna , St Gerard and Our Blessed Mother are our intercessors. You should start praying to St Joseph – he’s my strength.

    Please pray for us as well.

  13. oldCatholigirl says:

    Even though I don’t think much of Coke as a product, I would have voted 1, but I didn’t feel like commenting– and here I am commenting anyway–just to say my prayers are with ncstevem and Jim. Thank God for such brave fathers and mothers.

  14. lana says:

    Definitely one of the best I have seen, since I don’t watch TV. But the pro-life attitude is wonderful. I get depressed hearing things like “I had my 2 and I am done,” with no apparent clue that God is supposed to be consulted.

  15. HyacinthClare says:

    I liked it very much. I found myself holding my breath that the man would be happy and when he was DELIGHTED… and what an expressive face he has! I thought, “This is really, really great.” I can’t compare it to other commercials as I don’t watch TV either, but if they’re like this, they’re not as bad as they used to be! Oh, and prayers and all love for ncstevem and Jim, their wives and babies!!

  16. Rob in Maine says:

    Yea, that Dad is me. I stepped on a sharp piece of Lego just tonight, complained we needed a bigger house because I have no private place of my own and then surprised the kids with tickets to watch U Maine hockey at Fenway Park! I like the ad because children can be the most frustrating thing in a parent’s life and at the same time be nothing buy joy.

  17. Cranky Old Man says:

    It is, after all, the natural extension of the instruction many of us were fortunate enough to hear on our wedding day: “This union, then, is most serious, because it will bind you together for life in a relationship so close and so intimate, that it will profoundly influence your whole future. That future, with its hopes and disappointments, its successes and its failures, its pleasures and its pains, its joys and its sorrows, is hidden from your eyes. You know that these elements are mingled in every life, and are to be expected in your own. And so not knowing what is before you, you take each other for better or for worse, for richer or for poorer, in sickness and in health, until death. Truly, then, these words are most serious. It is a beautiful tribute to your undoubted faith in each other, that recognizing their full import, you are, nevertheless, so willing and ready to pronounce them. And because these words involve such solemn obligations, it is most fitting that you rest the security of your wedded life upon the great principle of self-sacrifice.”

  18. Pearl says:

    I voted 1. I was totally surprised. I cried. :-)

  19. Indulgentiam says:

    I voted “Hey…” Because it was sweet. In this culture of death I’m sort of shocked that a marketing firm would even think along these lines. Whatta ya wanna bet that pp teams up with lgbt to sue them for discriminating against population control and unnatural famalies.

  20. ncstevem says:

    Jim – congratulations for you and your wife. My prayers are with you as well.

    You are so right about praying to St. Joseph. I actually just began doing so about one month ago. Not sure if Fr. allows sharing of contact info in his combox, but perhaps we can stay in contact.

  21. wised says:

    I enjoyed it as it celebrates the many faces of parenthood.The occasional difficult moments are readily overcome by love.

  22. Poustinik1 says:

    Thanks Father Z. My feel good moment for the evening- although my sons are grown, this brought back so many memories.

  23. lana says:

    I’d like to know how it went when St. Catherine of Siena’s pregnancy test was done. She was #22 or something like that.

  24. Ben Kenobi says:

    Interesting, a commercial marketed at me. Rare to see a charming one like this.

  25. Pingback: To love somebody… |

  26. markomalley says:

    First and most importantly, @ncstevem — you, your wife, and your daughter are in my prayers.

    Secondly, I firewalled the vote on the right. The reason being that the commercial was unabashedly pro-life…but didn’t push it as a political position — rather, as if it was a cultural fact of life (and considering their fertility rate is 2.27, either celibacy is HUGE in that country or welcoming life is not exactly a cultural norm there).

    That kind of thing is EXACTLY what is needed in this country.

    (And I say this as one whose lips never touch a Coca Cola product)

    I wonder if Coca Cola has fired the ad agency that produced the ad.

    @FrZ: suggest you add your “just too cool” tag to this post…because it qualifies as Just Too Cool!

  27. pray4truth says:

    Hmmmm… all I noticed after watching it 2 times, before viewing other comments, was how irritated the parents were with the kid throughout the commercial. Then I watched it again after reading comments and still saw parents annoyed by their kid. Do I need therapy?! Let me add… my parents, who have both died, were awesome and not constantly visibly put off by me and my three siblings :-) Hmmmm…

  28. gertrude says:

    I voted 1 because you just don’t see this in the media – Anywhere!! And it’s so right and just, and heartwarming! How wonderful if all women got this response to their blessing and good news! Not sure what coke co motivation is – but I really felt moved by it- which is rare here in the US

  29. Stupendous. Absolutely. Because that is real life – and real love – as it was meant to be.

  30. LarryW2LJ says:

    Prayers for ncstevem and your family. My situation was a lot like yours. Married late, but in my early 40s, late 30’s for my wife. My lovely bride and I suffered through several miscarriages, but now have two lovely children who are just entering their teenage years.

    Being an active, involved Dad is a lot of hard work, but Man o’ Man! Is it worth it! I cannot imagine my life without the three of them. It’s so great to see that commercial and I hope that an American version is done. We need that kind of message here.

    ncstevem, if I may …… beside St. Gianna, also put a bug in the ears of Sts. Jerome and Jude. Based on my own life, if it weren’t for my Mom’s prayers to St. Jude, I stood a better than good chance of not being here today. When my Mom was pregnant with me, because of some sort of blood thing, all her doctors were telling her that I would never make it. She went to her parish priest who gave her a blessed St Jude medal, which she wore for the remainder of he pregnancy with me. Needless to say, I am here and the intercession to St. Jude worked.

    As a result, Jude is my baptismal middle name, which I bear proudly.

  31. Ed the Roman says:

    This is great! I am sure everyone knows this: children are like fires; it is very hard to control one, so you need several to help burn each other out.

    Post of the year!

  32. Ed the Roman says:

    OK, watched it again and figured out the red cross was a positive. I like it.

  33. Jim Dorchak says:

    “Coke Life” is ONLY sold in Argentina and Chile!
    My wife and 22 year old daughter Emily, say to tell you all that it tastes really good.
    What is the difference in the Coke found elsewhere? Coke Life uses real sugar and stevia instead of High fructos Corn syrup, with the former being man made and the prior being all natural.
    You can not commonly buy Coke Life, and many other products and services, in the USA because it has been banned. It is very interesting to see how many things that are available here in Chile and not in the USA. I guess according to the U.S. government you all are a bunch of idiots.
    Jim Dorchak

  34. tealady24 says:

    This was so cute! I loved the ending. Having 2 grand daughters, 18 mos. apart, we can certainly relate! And they are both so loved! Too bad media doesn’t go for the soul!
    A Happy and Blessed New Year to you, Father Z!

  35. @prayfortruth Other than those few seconds where the father seems (understandably) frustrated when he gets bopped and kicked while apparently trying to do some work, I see no irritation at all. Amazement, astonishment perhaps, but decidedly not irritation.

  36. I thought it was cute. Not meant to take too seriously, especially the parts in which they were not thrilled with everything the child was up to. Cause, we aren’t always, correct? I also don’t see it as a politically charged piece. Just a slice of life type montage with a nice subject.

  37. lpscott says:

    Stupendous. We have 4 kids, and this was us when we found out my wife was pregnant with the 3rd.

  38. Allan S. says:

    I didn’t get it. Had no idea what that last part was about. She was holding some kind of linen string or something at the end that provoked an emotional response.

    From the comments, I gather it was some kind of positive pregnancy test. I’m a father and husband and never saw anything like that.

    So its desired effect was lost on me.

  39. stephen c says:

    True love loves without complaining (of course there are exceptions, such as in sharing of information and telling of stories, in which case the complaining is hopefully used for a better purpose than demonstrating our lack of gratitude to God). Compare the (excellent) actor’s reaction to the first pregnancy (pure human joy) to his reaction to the second (a look of cold-hearted, stunned and unbelieving disappointment, followed upon reflection by delayed joy – not a sequence that bodes as well for the new baby as Coca Cola would like you to think). Had the storyline not indulged in fake-brag complaining about how hard it is to be blessed as a healthy couple with a healthy and active child, the “humorous” payoff (based on the actor’s look of unbelieving disappointment at the apparently unexpected and previously unwanted second blessing) would not have worked as humor. So the actors should be proud of their work, the writers not so much.

  40. Supertradmum says:

    Blech is my vote–Coca Cola is one of the major sponsors of Gay Pride Parades in the world and this is sheer hypocrisy for the sake of getting back the pro-lifers and the conservatives they are losing for their big support of gays.

    Sorry, but this is a cynical attempt and until the company stops supporting Gay Pride across the world, I for one will not drink Coke products.

    Which is a problem, as Pepsi has always for a very long time supported Planned Parenthood.

    Drink water.

  41. The Masked Chicken says:

    “Drink water.”

    Drink filtered water. The U. S. Water supply has interesting trace ingredients (the U. S. Department of Health will not release the data), such as anti-depressant metabolizes, contraceptive metabolites, etc, insulin, etc.

    “You can not commonly buy Coke Life, and many other products and services, in the USA because it has been banned.”

    This is not true. It just hadn’t been approved by the FDA, but they did approve the use of stevia, in general, so, in principle, there is no reason why Coca-Cola cannot sell it in the U. S.

    The Chicken

  42. FloridaJoan says:

    I voted ” Stupendous ” because that look on his face ( at the end ) re-affirms that love conquers all ( even messiness and inconvenience). Coke has hit a home run with this one !

    pax et bonum
    Joan

  43. Supertradmum says:

    Filtered Water—if one lives in a place with a filter-absolutely.

  44. The Masked Chicken says:

    I cannot drink my tap water where I live because of spores in the line to which I am allergic. Water filters can be bought at most drug stores, although some are better than others.

    We should get rid of plastic for bottled water while we are at it.

    Vive, le verre!

    The Chicken

  45. Random Friar says:

    The end says, “Destapá tu naturaleza,” which means, roughly, “open up your nature.”

    Destapá is Argentine Spanish. Destapar= des (un) tapar (from root of “tapa” meaning “lid”)

  46. capchoirgirl says:

    I loved it and gave it a 1, because it rings so true. I was that child when I was little. I was into everything…but yet my parents were still happy to have more kids. :)

    And some of us have to drink bottled water–I’m a transplant recipient and my center doesn’t allow us to drink “regular” unfiltered water. So when I go out to eat, soda is often the best choice for me, since I’m also limited to how many adult beverages I can have.

  47. robtbrown says:

    The Masked Chicken says:

    “Drink water.”

    Drink filtered water. The U. S. Water supply has interesting trace ingredients (the U. S. Department of Health will not release the data), such as anti-depressant metabolizes, contraceptive metabolites, etc, insulin, etc.

    Perhaps the following should be added (with a grateful nod to Gen Jack D. Ripper):

    God willing, we will prevail, in peace and freedom from fear, and in true health, through the purity and essence of our natural fluids. God bless you all

  48. mike cliffson says:

    Didn’t vote.

    I suppose it’s something to see admen come up with: “coke is part of your life( even when you’re politically incorrect/ordinary human enough to be male + female a baby or two)”
    So not so much necessarily, but certainly of itself and in itself and by itself, it’s a better sign than the 99% ads which are the devil’s.
    Howsoever, pun intended, one swallow doesn’t make a summer.
    The same art that makes this true to life is normally used to sell consequenceless casual sex, whatever – · new vehicles Ive bought in my life, all pretty much as in their ads, seats, engine capacity, stuff like that , EXcept:
    NONE of them came with the girl!
    I didn’t remember the nefarious ways Coke and pepsi spend profits from what we pays
    So forget Adam’s ale, drink wine and /or beer.
    Beer does more than Milton can to justify God’s ways to man
    Wine does more than dross in cans ……
    And we have been blessed with eleven.
    By the Almighty.
    Coke-cola had nothing to do with it.

  49. Supertradmum says:

    No offense, but is my generation of One Million Moms and pro-life boycott lists the only one which cares about boycotting certain companies which support ssm, gay rights, and PP? I have been boycotting Pepsi for over twenty years, and the list of companies which are big supporters of ssm and gay rights are on line. If people on this blog stopped going to Starbucks for that reason, why are some not willing to give up Coke and see the hypocrisy and cynicism in this type of advertising?

    As Catholics we could have ended PP long ago by drying up the big companies which support them. Same with the gay agenda lobby.

    Sorry, blech…..

  50. Angie Mcs says:

    I voted 2, since I am happy with the message, which IMO was that children are worth it all, the sleeplessness, lack of privacy, all the things shown, and many more, certainly the expenses. In spite of it all, a new life is a reason for great joy. I only wish, looking back, that I had had more children. I am so grateful for my two but now know I could have put some things aside, even health issues, and tried to have had more.

    But it does trouble me about whom Coke and Pepsi sponsor. The Gay Pride parade is always disgusting. And no need to discuss PP’s mission. Luckily, soda is not a healthy necessity.

    We really need a notebook when we go shopping as to which company supprts whom. I would like to know some of my money is not going to support ideals which I find abhorent and I have avoided Starbucks and other vendors for ages. But getting back to the commercial, I thought it was great and gave a joyous messsage in favor of babies, something we could certainly use.

  51. donato2 says:

    It’s beautiful.

    Being a parent is actually much more difficult than the commercial suggests — the adolescent years are far more difficult than the toddler years. But the commercial nonetheless beautifully evokes how the difficult times are mysteriously intertwined with the love.

  52. Uxixu says:

    “Mexican Coke” with cane sugar is sold in many supermarkets as well as Costco in the US.

    The commercial itself was good. Not the best ever but definitely nice and I definitely relate especially with the my third child.

  53. mike cliffson says:

    Supertradmum:
    Boycotting needs time and effort, but we don’t even manage single-issue voting, which doesn’t.

  54. Luvadoxi says:

    I voted stupendous. It’s so realistic about the difficulties without being depressing. It gives hope and inspires people to the high calling of parenthood. In the end, love and personal relationships are worth the sacrifice of material goods. The best I’ve seen.

  55. mike cliffson says:

    I was sent this in 2007, sadly , they say they arent catholic, unlike ads it’s real: A large family , and this isn’t a quarter of what strangers allot themselves the right to say , laughed at
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xaD8xat6VDw

  56. wmeyer says:

    Cute commercial. But lest anyone be confused, Coca-Cola is not pro-life, they are pro sales. In other commercials, made for other countries, they offer messages in support of homosexual “marriage”.

  57. teejay329 says:

    Aside from Coke’s political agenda, it is just plain nice to take it for what it is…a warm fuzzy advertisement. Although it is refreshing to see a couple excited to see a positive on a pregnancy test (twice!) and not running to schedule an appointment at the local abortion clinic.

  58. cantrix says:

    Beautiful! It won’t make me buy Coke but I loved it all the same. Yes, it’s a marketing ploy. But I take some small comfort in the fact that they are willing to market to people who love kids and want more of them.

  59. Didn’t do much for me. This commercial doesn’t shatter any new perceptions in our young adult populace today. All the young adults, including the many secular couples on the west coast that I am acquainted with and work with, are fully on board with the statistical number of children acceptable to a family of TWO.POINT.ONE children per household – the statistical sweet spot for all secular benchmarks for the family.

    I’m a father to 7 children and this commercial just continues to maintain the status quo: 2.1 children per household is the acceptable figure. Nothing glass ceiling getting shattered here.

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