Coca-Cola Buys Spot Right Before National Anthem

For the first time in over a decade, Coca-Cola will not air a Super Bowl ad, E.J. Schultz reports. Instead, the beverage giant will run a 60-second commercial in the pre-game right before the National Anthem. It’s a strategic move by Coke, which is using the anthem to call for unity.

Coke’s animated spot is by Wieden & Kennedy Portland, the same agency that made Nike’s ad last year starring Kaepernick. Coke’s ad is not making a political statement, but instead looks to tout the beverage as something enjoyed by everyone, no matter their race, status or beliefs. The spot features an original poem that is inspired by quotes from Andy Warhol’s 1975 book, “The Philosophy of Andy Warhol,” in which he states that “a Coke is a Coke and no amount of money can get you a better Coke than the one the bum on the corner is drinking.”

Coca-Cola won’t have an in-game spot even as Super Bowl LIII is hosted in its hometown of Atlanta.