Page - 11 - in JRFM - Journal Religion Film Media, Volume 01/01

Editorial | 11www.jrfm.eu 2015, 1/1, 9–19 Church in the United states.6 These commercials are outlined below as an introduc- tion to the articles by Roger Odin and Mia Lövheim in this issue; Sigrid Schade re- sponded to the selected commercials with a discussion of a video performance by Vera Frenkel who reflects on the impact of commercials in general on everyday life. The commercials by the two soda producers can be classified as “media using reli- gious communities,” whereas in the third commercial the Catholic Church uses media for its purposes as a religious community. Nevertheless, all three ventures pursue a single goal, be it religious or solely commercial: to activate consumers. To that end the Coca-Cola commercial Have a Great Break7 depicts a highly sexual- ised masculine figure (fig. 1) whom a young and equally erotic women (fig. 2) observes as he walks out of the water at a secluded, Caribbean-like beach. While opening and drinking from a can of Coke light, the woman takes the man for an available sexual object (fig. 3). As he dresses and puts on a clerical collar, it becomes evident that he is a presumably celibate priest. The only body contact between the two actors consists of the priest’s placing of the sign of the cross (fig. 4) on the woman’s forehead using her drink as holy water or balm. 6 The commercials can be viewed in the internet. The date of production of both commercials is probably between 2004 and 2008. 7 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z6my9ZNxUL8 [accessed on 29 September 2015]. Fig. 1: Sexy priest, Have a Great Break, film still (00:00:09).