After 13 years and nearly as many changes to its judges’ table, the American Idol is parting ways with its most important magistrates: the wise council of giant Coca-Cola cups that oversee all, imparting their corporate benevolence to the many minstrels that come to warble before it. Coca-Cola has announced that it’s cutting ties with the reality series, more than a decade after it all but redefined product placement by plastering its logo all over every available surface of the Idol stage, transforming its traditional “green room” into a “red room,” and replacing Ryan Seacrest’s blood with Diet Coke. The absence will be felt in the upcoming 14th season, when the judges slowly go delirious with dehydration.
As Variety reports, the soda giant issued a statement explaining, “After 13 years, we feel it is the right time for the Coca-Cola brand to venture into new spaces and pursue other opportunities to connect with teens and leverage music as a passion point.” With the aging American Idol increasingly fading in popularity, Coca-Cola is now looking for relatively hipper ways to reach the kids through music, such as putting its logo on the back of an Andrews Sisters record for your phonograph.
Fox is already said to be looking for another company that can give it some cups.