***Until I cut the long version of this piece, the short version will be unacceptable for viewing due to YouTube’s policy of cutting sound from videos that contain copyrighted songs….This piece contained Eric Clapton’s Cocaine for obvious reasons
This mock-Public Service Announcement began as a shooting/editing exercise for a third-year television journalism class in January 2008. We were given a week to come up with an idea and develop it into a 60-second commercial-type vehicle for use during our fake news broadcasts later in the semester.
When we first sat down to sketch out what we could be filming, my classmate Sean Parkhill and I came up with the idea of using Coca-Cola as a comical addiction in place of Cocaine – placing the former in all the situations that the latter would typically be seen. This stemmed from a discussion we had been having earlier in the day about Carleton University’s exclusive contract with Coca-Cola, and hence the inability to purchase any beverage that wasn’t made by said company on campus, as well as Sean’s admiration of my wall of Pepsi cans in my dorm room at the time (I refused to purchase Coke on campus and deliberately went off-campus to import cases of Pepsi).
After working out a 10-page draft script along with the third member of our trifecta, Holly Archer, filming took place over a single weekend using friends and random people we encountered around campus as extras. Our star (at least in the eyes of our classmates upon the short’s exhibition) was Dr. Hans Frankfurter, or rather, Professor Klaus Pohle, Undergraduate Supervisor of the journalism department at Carleton University – as everyone was familiar with Klaus and his sudden appearance in our piece made it that much more amusing.
The final product came in at a run-time of about 60 seconds, however the content within features approximately 1/4 of the material scripted and filmed. As such, the long-cut of the piece will be edited together soon so everyone can finally see the true problem in our society….this addiction to Coke. (Nothing against Coke, but I simply prefer Pepsi…..I’ll drink it if there’s no alternative).
*DISCLAIMER: This message not brought to you by Pepsi Co. Ltd.
**While Coke brand products may in fact be addictive and/or habit-forming, there are currently no studies that prove or suggest the addictions and/or side-effects implied by this fictional advertisement may in fact occur in those who consume them. This advertisement is completely fabricated and those involved are in no way affiliated with Pepsi Co. Ltd or Coke Brand products (however, ironically enough, Holly at the time of filming did actually hold shares in Coca-Cola).
