About five weeks ago, in a landmark ruling, Saudi Arabia announced plans to lift its ban on women driving. The decree, issued by King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, overturned a longstanding rule which prohibited females to drive for many years. The change will take effect in June 2018.

In that light, Coca-Cola rolled out a new commercial in Saudi Arabia, celebrating the historic announcement. Titled “Change Has a Taste”, the ad shows a Saudi father teaching his daughter how to drive. It begins with the father and daughter trading seats in a vintage red car. Initially, the daughter struggles to drive smoothly until her father opens a bottle of Coca-Cola and places it on the dashboard as a test to see how good a driver she is. Now of course, she does not want to spill the drink! The daughter takes a sip of Coke and gets all pumped up. By the end, she confidently manages to speed through the desert.

In a country where women are not allowed to work, get a passport or travel without a male guardian’s approval, this ad by Coca-Cola beautifully celebrates the freedom that women in Saudi Arabia are finally enjoying.

When I first saw the ad, I frankly found it strange that we have a commercial today, in the 21^st century, about women being “allowed” to drive. And then, it struck me that driving is something which millions of us around the world take for granted. However, progress is progress, whether it happens quickly or takes a while, it should be celebrated. Given the recent developments in Saudi Arabia, Coca-Cola has smartly tapped onto this huge shift and relevantly captured it in the ad. This is what good marketing is all about. The brand does a fine job of telling people that it is aware of what is happening in the society and supports such positive changes.

The ad also captures a heartfelt father-daughter relationship. While the father is mindful of his daughter’s driving skills, he is still anxious to see her get it right. I like the upbeat background music, towards the end, which accurately projects the excitement and the adrenaline rush that driving gives you. The product placement, however is a little forceful. The film would have worked even without the ‘balance the bottle’ angle.

Nevertheless, the overall package looks like an earnest attempt by the brand to celebrate women’s empowerment in a changing nation.

So Coke, good timing!