Tom Colicchio Promotes Diet Coke During Oscars

by Marisa McClellan, Posted Feb 23rd 2009 @ 10:35AM

Last night, while watching the Oscars (I was a little bummed that Viola Davis didn't win for her performance in Doubt, she was spectacularly good in that role), I was taken aback by the sight of Tom Colicchio in a commercial for Diet Coke. I've come to accept the bizarre product placements on Top Chef, but somehow, I always looked at Colicchio as a celebrity chef who was above shilling for vast corporations.

In the commercial, Colicchio walks through a fancy restaurant that is serving all manner of convolution appetizers and entrees, while his voiceover advocates for simple good taste. The whole thing culminates with him drinking an ungarnished glass of Diet Coke. It's a good message (the one about simplicity), but the whole thing leaves me feeling dirty and a little disappointed.

What do the rest of you think about the commercial?

Filed Under: Celebrities
Tags: academy awards, AcademyAwards, diet coke, DietCoke, tom colicchio, TomColicchio

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Reader comments (Page 1 of 1)

2-23-2009 @10:58AM drew said... It's okay with me -- the commercial is in keeping with his image, though I think he should be "above" it...
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2-23-2009 @11:11AM andrew said... The key for me is, is he really a diet coke drinker/fan. I'm ok with a celebrity shilling for things they really use.
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2-23-2009 @11:14AM Biscuit Butcher said... I felt the same mixture of resignation and revulsion when I saw the ad during the Oscars as well. The thing that really turned my stomach however was the fact that the food they were mocking in the ad were akin to some things that people are known for that he has acted all buddy buddy with on Top Chef. I feel like I was watching something similar to a culinary Caesar assasination. But I suppose that it is just another known chef giving up their whites for a suit. Et tu, Colicchio?
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2-23-2009 @11:29AM Nikole said... I agree, Biscuit Butcher. All I could think of was Grant Achatz and how I want to go to Alinea some day.

Collichio is a disappointment. I wish he'd leave Top Chef. He adds nothing helpful to the equation.
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2-23-2009 @12:25PM Skas said... God forbid someone try to make money, right?

How foolish you all sound.
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2-23-2009 @1:31PM Samme said... Actually I believe the message works nicely.

The commercial is classy and uncomplicated.
It also pokes fun at some of the more insane kinds of dishes that Tom Colicchio has to endure on the food network competitions. Seeing his sense of humor on TV I tend to doubt he minds having a laugh at the shrimp nest or the tower-with-a-flower.
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2-23-2009 @3:43PM melissa.algaze said... Unless you watch TC or are a big foodie, I doubt you'd know who he is, so I was surprised to see him for that reason. But the two diet coke commercials featured Bravo personalties (Klum and Tom)
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2-23-2009 @3:59PM Bob said... the crazy part to me is that he's talking about taste, and then saying that Diet Coke is great. no it isn't, it's utter crap. drink a real Coke for crying out loud. diet anything tastes like ass. and don't tell me it doesn't, because it does, and you all know it. if the earth had intended for things to taste like a mouth full of pennies, then things like maple syrup would taste like licking a tire.
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2-23-2009 @4:16PM Bernie B said... Anybody chef hawking a diet soda sounds like a sellout. I would concede if that's actually the Chef's drink of choice, but I really dought it.

He should have held out to hawk Pepsi's flashback sodas.
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2-23-2009 @8:05PM RJ said... I agree with Bernie B...he should have waited for the Flashback (I thought it was Coke that was doing that, though)!
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