daFans who attended movies at Regal Cinemas this weekend discovered that there was something…a little different…about the experience. According to numerous moviegoers on Twitter, “Pepsi Zero Sugar + Regal – Great Movie Lines Live Here!” — the promotional spot that had been running before every Regal movie since last year — is no longer a part of the moviegoing experience. And, for the most part, audiences have breathed a sigh of relief as the controversial ad seems to have been retired.
Videos by ComicBook.com
The ad has never been especially popular with moviegoers, as far as we can tell by a few quick searches of social media, but earlier this summer, there was a flare-up of frustration with it. Film writer Nathan Rabin wrote a blog post titled, “The Regal Movie Quote Commercial is an Abomination That Must Be Stopped!” and social media…well, responded.
“This ad makes me feel insane,” Redditor /u/jimmygommbas wrote at the time. “Next time you see it, imagine you didn’t know any movie quotes and are experiencing a schizophrenic breakdown while all these random people say nonsense to each other.”
You can see the ad here, via the YouTube channel of Albert Kuo, who appears in the spot:
Kuo appears to have been the first person on YouTube to upload the full ad, and the comments section is basically what you would expect, based on the combination of a polarizing ad and stereotypes about YouTube comments sections.
“It truly warms my heart to see this comment section filled with enthusiasm and genuine passion for this beautifully crafted work of art,” Kuo wrote in his own pinned comment, tongue firmly in cheek. “Thank you all for your unwavering support.”
Now that the ad is gone, there is another wave of conversation going on on social media, including a video by Barstool Sports discussing the end of the “Regal movie quote ad” era.
