Mountain Dew Zero sugar ad is a minute-long video featuring a famous actor Bryan Cranston and actress Tracee Ellis Ross. The ad is a parody of Stanley Kubrick’s movie adaptation of Stephen King’s The Shining. The video shows the iconic “Here’s Johnny!” scene from the movie, with Cranston’s psychopathic character offering a new Mountain Dew Zero Sugar to Ross’s portraying Wendy (Mountain Dew, 2020). However, ad’s Wendy realizes that she is thirsty and gladly accepts the drink. Then the video cuts to the elevator room, again parodying the original movie, filled with the Mountain Dew, with the caption spelling “as good as the original, maybe even better?” (Mountain Dew, 2020). The end scene is a couple of ominous twins from The Shining, played by Cranston, drinking Mountain Dew; the voice can be heard whispering: “zero sugar.”
Inviting popular actors is one of the features that the advertisers of Mountain Dew use to promote their product. Seeing a familiar face in the ad draws the attention of the targeted consumers. It is a successful technic, yet it can prove to be expensive. Another feature their used is the parody of a well-known movie, especially its most iconic scene. Even people who have not seen The Shining would recognize the scene as a pop-cultural reference. Having recognized it, people would most likely be interested in how this ad will play it.
I think that this specific ad for Mountain Dew Zero Sugar is especially effective. It features famous actors and an iconic scene from a popular movie, captivating the viewers enough to finish watching the ad. The ad is humorous, and the acting is excellent, making it genuinely entertaining to watch. The end scene of a comical portrayal of two little girls by a well-known adult male actor is very memorable. After watching the ad, many people would most likely remember it when they see Mountain Dew Zero Sugar in a store and get motivated to choose it over other soft drinks.
Reference
Mountain Dew. (2020). MTN DEW Zero Sugar. As Good As The Original | Extended Cut [Video]. YouTube. Web.