Health Advocates Remake Iconic Coca-Cola Ad Into Serious Warning

(CBS NEWS) -- A watchdog group is trying to shake up consumers' perception of soda with a provocative new ad. It turns the famously sweet Coca-Cola "Hilltop" jingle into a sour reminder with a message about the sugary drink.

The 1971 commercial had America feeling good about itself and the product it was trying to sell. The ad is so iconic it was even featured prominently, and positively, in the series finale of "Mad Men.

"Coca-Cola's 'Hilltop' ad, '(I'd Like) to Buy the World a Coke,' might be the single most famous commercial ever produced. And we wanted to use a little bit of media jiu-jitsu and turn it around," said Michael Jacobson, director of the Center for Science in the Public Interest.

"I'd like to buy the world a drink that doesn't cause disease," people in the ad sing.

The non-profit health advocacy group said it recruited people suffering from diseases related to soda consumption. Working with advertising and medical professionals, they remade Coke's ad, calling it "Change the Tune."

Coca-Cola declined CBS News' request for comment.

The soda industry has been on the defensive recently. Berkeley voted in a soda tax in November, and many cities and states have been trying to do the same.