The hirsute Aalok Mehta from American Chai and Bombay Dreams is in a new Coke ad. Gently tossing his windblown musician locks, he makes the ad look authentic. It says, ‘Yo dawg, I see brown people. This colored sugar water’s down.’
The ad has alt rocker G. Love and a group of demographically correct city people jamming with a guitar on a Philly rooftop (thanks, brimful). They’re singing a mutant version of the ’70s song, ‘I’d Like to Teach the World to Sing.’ Actually, that’s backward. The song by the New Seekers started as a ’70s Coke pusher jingle (‘I’d Like to Buy the World a Coke’), and the clean version later became a bona fide hit.
Watch the ad, which runs before a Daily Show clip. Previous post here.
Check out the This Week in God section from the clips from the same show. They discuss — surprise, surprise — Hinduism and about how the corporate types at McDonald’s are saying ‘sorry’ for cooking them freedom fries in Atkins certified beef tallow and passing them off as vegetarian.
I didn’t see the ad. Is there somewhere else I can see it?
I wonder if the Coke ad is a feeble/subtle attempt to counter protest of “Killer Coke” in India (among other places, including Columbia).
Wait… I thought Mr. I love cool beverages G. Love is the one singing in the new Coke ad.
Also- I knew you guys were going to post on this the moment I saw the commercial! 🙂
G. Love sounds right. (I’m frontin’ for all I’m worth…)
I saw that G. Love commercial at the movies last week and almost yelled “Sell Out” at the screen. The streets of Philly ain’t what they used to be.
Aw- go easy on him, Abhi. With a name like G. Love & Special Sauce, it was just a matter of time before a big corporation used him as a shill. Come to think of it, I am fairly sure I’ve heard at least one of his songs featured in a beer commercial.
The commercial’s off, who says “chillin'” nowadays anyway? (people who say “illin?”)
G. Love et al sold out, made a sad commercial. Sir Mixalot sold out and it wasn’t so bad (“Baby got back” is being used for Target’s new Back-to-School Backpack Sale).
Beachboys & Sunkist, Michael Jackson & Pepsi, Beatles & Nike, Sheryl Crow & Dell, Coldplay & [can’t remember], B.B. King & One Touch, Michael Bolton & Viagra, Kenny G. & Prozac, etc. and so on (I was just kidding about the last two).
I did! And I shook my jar of Bimla’s chutney angrily at the tv.
Everyone involved in American Chai needs a proper bitchslapping.
Moby & everyone.
Dear friends, here’s the crucial question: when was G. Love ever good? You can’t sell out if you haven’t talent to begin with.
Also, Aalok’s been popping up on the Law & Order franchises. I though NY was swarming with unemployed actors? Now they gotta re-use the brown people, what?
I thought Philadephonic was pretty good when it came out. Then again, I posted a Color Me Badd reference in an ANNA post, so you may feel free to discount anything I have to say 😉
Cicatrix – The beatles didnt sell out to nike, michael jackson did. He owns the rights to those songs!
I am a 31 year old heterosexual male but after seeing that video of Aalok in New York he has me questioning my manhood.