Multilingual Coca-Cola Super Bowl Ad Sparks Debate

Coca-Cola Superbowl Ad Reflects the Reality of a Multilingual America (The Huffington Post)

One of the most controversial Super Bowl ads this year did not rely on the usual tactics, such as humor, shock, a catchy tune, or clever turns of phrase. Instead, the much-talked-about advertisement from Coca-Cola simply presented the song, "America, the Beautiful" in seven different languages. Outrage swiftly ensued, as evidenced by a newly created hashtag on Twitter: #speakamerican. Some even began calling for a boycott of Coca-Cola products.

Why all the fuss? Many Americans feel that the only language that should be used is English, not just on Super Bowl Sunday, but every day of the year. Is advertising in multiple languages somehow anti-American, or is multilingualism actually the American way?