SodaStream has been forced to cut a controversial line from its Super Bowl spot featuring actress Scarlett Johansson.
Even with the commercial's tongue-in-cheek style touting the advantages of homemade soda, Johansson turning to the camera and saying "Sorry, Coke and Pepsi" was too much for Fox, the network airing the game.
The two major soda manufacturers are also big Super Bowl advertisers, so Fox told SodaStream the ad would have to be re-cut, Yahoo TV reported.
SodaStream Chief Marketing Officer Ilan Nacasch told Yahoo TV that the rejected line "adds to the humor, it makes the ad fun, lighthearted."
The quip about Coke and Pepsi was also intended to be part of SodaStream's broader strategy, which is to offer its product as a "credible and delicious alternative" to soda in cans and bottles, he said.
Daniel Birnbaum, CEO of SodaStream, told USA TODAY late Friday that Fox rejected the Super Bowl commercial "because they're afraid of Coke and Pepsi."
He noted that many other American commercials reference other companies.
"What are they afraid of?" asks Birnbaum. "Which advertiser in America doesn't mention a competitor? This is the kind of stuff that happens in China. I'm disappointed as an American."
Pepsi and Fox representatives declined to comment on the demand to edit the commercial, while Coca-Cola spokeswoman Lauren Thompson told USA TODAY that the company didn't pressure Fox.
SodaStream, which also ran into resistance with last year's Super Bowl ad, will air a slightly different version of the spot with Johansson. But fans can view the "uncensored" commercial on the SodaStream website or here.
Birnbaum told USA TODAY that he would get his money back if it were possible, but SodaStream will run the edited commercial since it has no other choice.
While the Super Bowl has long been a coveted advertising platform, its commercials are a bigger investment than ever. This year's Super Bowl airtime is going for a cool $4 million per 30-second slot, rising $200,000 compared with 2013, according to ABC. The price has jumped nearly 50 percent in the last five years.
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