All posts containing the tag: "MichelleKwan"

Coke Drops Kwan From Ad; Visa Keeps Her

Posted Feb 13th 2006 5:28PM by TMZ Staff

By DAVID BAUDER, AP TELEVISION WRITER

Michelle Kwan's withdrawal from the Winter Olympics has forced two major television advertisers who were featuring the figure skater in their campaigns to reevaluate their plans.

Coca-Cola Co. has decided not to go ahead with one of its two ads that reference Kwan, while Visa USA is sticking with her.

A series of Coke ads that feature rabid fans rooting on their favorite athletes included one where they were rooting for Kwan. The skater herself is not seen in the ad.

"Given that it's cheering her on to win, hopefully, and she is not competing, we didn't think the ad was still relevant," said Susan McDermott, a spokeswoman for the soft drink company, on Monday. Coke will simply substitute ads featuring other athletes in the spots set aside for Kwan.

Kwan and speed skater Apolo Anton Ohno had their names used in another Coke ad where an announcer says, "Without ice, Apolo Anton Ohno would be a speed-swimmer, Michelle Kwan would be a water-skater, and our Cokes would be warm."

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Filed under: TV, The Biz