Coca-Cola Controversy
According to a Gruff Rhys interview with Red Pepper magazine, the band turned down "a seven-figure offer by an advertising agency" for the use of "Hello Sunshine" in a Coca-Cola commercial due to alleged malpractice:
| “ | We have never been a big selling band, but when it came to the crunch, we felt we couldn't justify endorsing a product that may have had a part in violently suppressing some of its workers. For a moment, sitting in the Sinaltrainal office, I thought that we could have done the advert and donated the money for their campaign for justice. Yet the thought of having to hear our song used to sell anything that exploits anyone for the worse turns my stomach. | ” |
The band ultimately allowed the track to be used in a short film about human rights abuses by anti-poverty charity War on Want. The charity has frequently criticized the Coca-Cola company's impact on local communities. In late 2005 Rhys reiterated that, although licensing one of their tracks for use in advertising would make a big difference financially, the Super Furries are happy to simply be able to make a living from making music. Rhys went on to state that a "Red Stripe advert in Jamaica" is one of the few advertising opportunities the band could live with.
Read more about this topic: Hello Sunshine
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