Michael Sam will be featured in two online ads released this weekend by Coke in the leadup to the Super Bowl. The ads are part of a larger campaign by Coke against Internet hate.
Sam, the openly gay player drafted in the NFL last year, is featured in an ad about people who have experienced negativity online. He talks about the one hate email he answered:
"It's bold and brave, and intended to disrupt the complacency that's set in around online negativity," Jennifer Healan, Coca-Cola's group director of integrated marketing content, said in a statement to Adweek about the campaign. "Our goal is to inspire America to become a collective force for positivity."
"Coca-Cola has always stood for optimism, uplift and inclusion… and these core values have been a common thread in our advertising through the years," added Andy McMillin, vp and general manager for Coca-Cola Trademark Brands.
You can see of the Coke ads on its YouTube page.
