Taika Waititi is a filmmaker that is known for making people laugh. He doesn’t even need to do it in a film or TV series either. Just watch an interview with him and he’s probably going to elicit at least one chuckle. But in the new Coca-Cola short/ad that he directed, Waititi isn’t going for laughs. He’s going for tears.
Yes, you read that right. Taika Waititi has directed a new short film (commercial) for Coca-Cola that follows in the long tradition of the soft drink company making heartfelt Christmas ads. And even though Waititi is in the director’s chair for the company’s holiday commercial, there isn’t an ironic laugh to be had. As seen in the commercial below, the ad is about a father that has to leave his family for the holidays but is entrusted with the job of delivering his daughter’s letter to Santa. What follows is a long, treacherous journey that ends in the father’s horrible, grim demise. Kidding! It’s a Coca-Cola ad, you know this is all going to be good in the end!
Interestingly enough, this isn’t Waititi’s first commercial for a soft drink company. In fact, he may actually be trying to rekindle the Pepsi versus Coke debate by flipping sides. Last year, the filmmaker directed a Pepsi ad that featured Paul Rudd as an astronaut. So, which is it, Mr. Waititi? Are you a Pepsi or a Coke guy? The world needs to know!
READ MORE: ‘Star Wars’: Taika Waititi Confirmed To Direct A New Feature Co-Written By ‘1917’ Scribe
Regardless, we all know he’s a talented filmmaker and even though this Coca-Cola short is a glorified commercial trying to sell carbonated sugar water and pretend the fatman in the North Pole moonlights as a truck driver, there’s a ton of heart here and it’s well worth a watch. And if you’re prone to tears, grab a tissue beforehand.
