SodaStream Expands Controversial UK-Banned Ad into 59 Countries

SodaStream Expands Controversial UK-Banned Ad into 59 Countries PR Newswire AIRPORT CITY, Israel, Dec. 11, 2012 - Following rejection of appeal, SodaStream challenges UK broadcasters ban and calls for consumers to voice their opinion AIRPORT CITY, Israel, Dec. 11, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Starting today, the UK-banned SodaStream commercial will be seen on Eurosport, which airs in 59 countries across the globe. This is in addition to the countries where it is viewable on other channels in the US, Canada, Australia and New Zealand. Since the ban was announced on Nov 22nd, the spot has been viewed more than 2 million times on YouTube (Youtube.com/SodaStream). The ad, which was approved to air during the Super Bowl in the US on February 3rd but has been banned in the UK, shows different scenes of soft drink bottles disappearing instantaneously as people use SodaStream, and delivers a powerful message about waste and sustainability. Clearcast, the organization that pre-approves UK TV advertising and is jointly funded by the UK's major broadcasters, offered the following reasoning for the original ban: "The ad could be seen to tell people not to go to supermarkets and buy soft drinks, instead help to save the environment by buying a SodaStream. We thought it was denigration of the bottled drinks market." Upon hearing SodaStream's appeal on Dec 3rd, the 'Copy Committee,' which includes senior representatives from the broadcasters' sales departments, upheld the ban.