Coca-Cola's "Shuang City"

Coca-Cola's latest commercial push before the Olympics features the TV commercial "Shuang City," starring Yao Ming as a torch bearer leading fans to the "Bird's Nest" stadium and shot by cinematographer Christopher Doyle (best known for working with directors Wong Kar-Wai and Zhang Yimou). Of course, as WSJ's Sky Canaves describes it, the commercial plays up the "feel-good" aspects of the Games: divers jump from skyscrapers, gymnasts leap through the streets and giant balloons emerge from a Coca-Cola truck dangling glass bottles of refreshing Coke.

"Shuang" (爽), as Coke describes it, means "complete physical, emotional and spiritual refreshment." The company plans to run a shuang-themed center on the Olympic green and two other shuang-zones in Beijing for exhibits, games, and daily parties. While the commercial is ostensibly set in Beijing, Canaves suggests that "Shuang City," with its blend of modern architecture and antiquated streetscapes, is more reminiscent of Shanghai.