Scarlett for ya

This is the ad that SodaStream aired during the Super Bowl in February 2014. I know that we outside the Excited States of America were not privy to the advertising platform surrounding the Super Bowl events, so I wanted to highlight just a few of my favourite ads that have caused a stir in the recent week. As I'm currently studying Digital Marketing and strategic Marketing campaigns, this example of celebrity endorsement has resonated with me. 





Having used a SodaStream system, I think it is a convenient and environmental sound method for bottled beverages. Simply fill the bottle with tap water, pop it in the carbonating machine and press for extra bubbles. There are now flavours and different syrups as part of the product range, which appeal to a wider range of beverage enthusiasts. Jamie Oliver famously used a SodaStream machine to carbonate flat average table wine to create "home made" Prosecco! 



Scarlett Johansson became the spokesperson for the company and as brand ambassador has come under scrutiny for political and social reasons. As with many high profile celebrity endorsements, the brand SodaStream has landed at the centre of a heated global political debate about ethics and good business practises.



The facts: 

• SodaStream’s largest factory is in a Jewish settlement in the Israeli-occupied westbank an area that many Palestinians envision as part of a future independent state.
• Scarlett Johansson  has been a spokesperson for Oxfam International, the confederation of aid groups, for the past 8 years. 
• There is a conflict of interest for the NGO Oxfam which represents the people and groups who have endured years of conflict and civil unrest in this political landscape, as an antipoverty group that opposes trade with Israeli settlements. 

Ms. Johansson has released a statement to say she remains  "a supporter of economic cooperation and social interaction between a democratic Israel and Palestine.” (http://www.nytimes.com/2014/01/31/world/middleeast/scarlett-johansson-and-oxfam-torn-apart-by-israeli-company-deal.html?_r=0). The actress and now political pawn has opted to end her charitable work with Oxfam International and continue as a paid spokesperson for the SodaStream company.