'Bob Ross' paints a Mountain Dew bottle in latest campaign

Mountain Dew's latest ad is a reference to Internet-famous American painter Bob Ross. The ad, which was first uploaded by The Drum, features an actor in front of an easel, painting one of his famous landscapes. But soon, we see a bottle of Mountain Dew in the frame as he paints 'happy little droplets' on it.

The ad was created by TBWA\Chiat\Day New York. The real (actual) artist Ross, who passed away in 1995, was well known for creating instructional videos on how to make complex landscape paintings, often paired with gentle and wholesome commentary.

“Sometimes in life, you get a little thirsty,” says the artist, as he grabs the 2D painting and drinks from the Mountain Dew bottle. The ad is a teaser to a longer episode of 'Paint with Bob', which will premiere on March 6.

In 2020, the last celebrity that Mountain Dew worked with for an ad was American actor Bryan Cranston (popularly known for playing a leading role in the series 'Breaking Bad'). In that ad, we see the creative agency trying to recreate a scene from Stanley Kubrick's 1980 American psychological horror film 'The Shining', starring Oscar-winning actor Jack Nicholson in the lead role.

Armed with an axe and a Mountain Dew bottle, Cranston slowly shuffles up the stairs. There is a terse silence as whimpering victim, played by actress Tracee Ellis Ross, cowers in the bathroom. The ad is for Mountain Dew Zero, the latest Mountain Dew product with no added sugar.

The commercial tries to be a parody of 'The Shining', which was based on a hotel caretaker's failing mental health as he struggles to maintain a palatial hotel during off-season (winter).