The Drag Racing Amish Ad

Slate on the Powerade ad directed by the co-star of Napolean Dynomite, which was pulled after a lawsuit:

Powerade: Pegasus This ad debuted last weekend during the opening rounds of March Madness. Within days, it became the subject of a lawsuit (which I’ll explain in a moment), and it’s now been pulled from the airwaves. It’s really a shame the ad had to die before its time, since it’s among the funnier spots to hit television in recent months.

Shortly after the ad began airing, Pepsi (which owns Gatorade) sued Coke (which owns Powerade Option). Why? Because the 10-hay-bale Amish horse cart is depicted as faster than the 50-hay-bale cart, implying that athletic performance is better enhanced by 10-calorie Powerade Option than by 50-calorie Gatorade. As the text of the suit alleges, "Indeed, the opposite is true: the calories present in Gatorade supply additional energy to working muscles and, as a result, increase endurance and performance. Powerade Option, which contains negligible calories, cannot refuel athletes in a similar manner." (I'm taking this text from a Gatorade blog—the very existence of which stunned me. Can we trust the work of a man who writes a blog devoted solely to Gatorade? In this case, I think we can.)

The powerade drag race commercial is here: Powerade Option - Amish Drag Race (2006) :15 (USA)