From the vault -- a good one

It's been a while since we posted an ad we liked, so here is an old favorite of mine and Windier's from 2004:



Diet Coke did right by us here. The whole commercial creates a mood -- late afternoon sun, the beach, playful rollerskating, music that makes you want to dance and, oh yes, Nicole Vicius. If I knew how to rollerskate, I'd be at that park every weekend evening. The graceful way they move, combined with the energetic bubble animation, makes this scene look like more fun than should be legally permitted. And it's not just creative direction for creative direction's sake -- from the opening second you see the brand name. The tagline, "Light it up," also works well with the diet product.

Compare the Diet Coke spot with this hack job from Intel. They both use music and dancing to showcase their products, but one outclasses the other exponentially.

Now, Diet Coke, if you could only do something about that aspartame thing, I think we'd all feel better about swilling your soda.