News > Academy Award Winner now shills Mountain Dew

Written by John Lichman

Seriously. Academy Award winning actor Forest Whitaker is helming and promoting a Mountain Dew ad campaign.

The "Dewocracy" multimedia game/series will spent the next year allowing players and consumers to create a new version of Mountain Dew to debut in 2009. The game will allow people to change color, flavor and branding of the product. The finalists will be voted on in February and product drops in July.

But seriously, Forest Whitaker. Seriously. Granted, he's being given a lot of control over the project with directing, writing and acting in it–but…Forest Whitaker!?

Variety:

Mountain Dew had been looking for "somebody that was interested in new ways at telling stories," said Frank Cooper, VP of marketing for the beverage brand. Whitaker "had a deep understanding of what consumers want to do in the digital space." 

The beverage giant enlisted Whitaker early this year to play one of the project's characters, as well as direct the short film, after he won the Oscar for "The Last King of Scotland."

"I watched the movie and said this guy is the best actor in America, and I really want to work with him," Leshem said.

But talks upped Whitaker's involvement to become more hands on with the game overall after he sparked to the project.

"Mountain Dew offered me an amazing opportunity to create a mythic universe using all forms of storytelling that will allow those who participate to develop their product," Whitaker said. "Ultimately, the drink will be on the street and in stores where you get to see it, touch it, taste it, drink it, make it a part of you; bringing you from the virtual world to the real world."

 …the world sucks.