Scarlett Johansson Super Bowl Ad Gets Cut For The Most Boring Reason Ever

Well folks, it’s about that time – time for a fresh batch of Super Bowl ads to take over news headlines for days on end. And since one of the TV spots features Scarlett Johansson this year... well, it’s fairly obvious who will steal the spotlight – particularly because ScarJo’s ad for SodaStream has been censored before airing.

Before your mind starts conjuring up all sorts of racy image, here’s the rundown. The ad opens with Johansson, clad in a fluffy white bathrobe, who proceeds to explain how the at-home carbonated beverage maker works. Then she wonders aloud how she could make the ad go viral. There’s one tried and true way though, so Scarlett goes for it – she takes off the bathrobe to reveal a tight black dress underneath. And after she sucks on a straw suggestively – because apparently there’s no way around that in a soft drink ad – Scarlett says: “Sorry, Coke and Pepsi.” And that was the line that Fox insisted be cut from the commercial. So no racy bits, no sexual innuendo (well, maybe just a bit) just plain old brand ethics.

"Which advertiser in America doesn't mention a competitor?," SodaStream CEO Daniel Birnbaum tells USA Today. "This is the kind of stuff that happens in China. I'm disappointed as an American."

Of course the free speech card had to be pulled at some point. The situation isn’t quite so dire though. Anyone who wants to see the uncensored version of the ad can do so on Youtube, where the video has already amassed over 4 million views. And that’s what clever marketing looks like.