Are you perpetually entangled in the virtual world?video games, social networking, Facebook and Tweeting?

You are not alone.

However, after watching this cola add, take a pause. There is more to life than Facebook and videogames. There is Coca-Cola, for instance. That?s the crux of the message in the latest television commercial from the cola major. Produced by McCann Erickson, the communication features brand ambassador Aamir Khan racing ahead on his motorbike, albeit as an animated character.

Is animation the new fad? ?Yes,? says Asish Chakravarty, creative chief, McCann Erickson. ?Animation has become an integral part of ad films, these days.?

Some 10-15 years ago, animation was only used in insect repellant ads. Today, every product comes branded with an animated character.

The Cola story called for a video gamer. The ad is about spending time on social networking site that is a pretty cool pass time with today?s youth, who are the target audience for the cola companies. Khan is so engaged in playing his game that he completely identifies with it and emerges as an animated character in the film! When the girls watching his class act drop a cube of ice in a glass, open a bottle of Coca-Cola and pour it into tall glasses, Khan finds the sound so distracting, he can?t remain focused on his game and opts to come back to his real form!

Prasoon Joshi, executive chairman and regional creative director, Asia Pacific, McCann Erickson says: ?Technology connects and also alienates us from our loved ones. It makes our lives easier and full of fun. There are times when an over indulgence in technology also alienates us. At such times, a favourite drink can bring us back to life and to friends?? The target group for the TVC is pre teens but it does manage to catch the attention of all age groups. About the shoot, Chakravarrty reveals, ?Almost 50% is animation, directed by Dadu?Abhijit Choudhary of Black Magic Motion pictures.? The shoot took a month to complete.

In the film, Aamir had to render a triple role?the real Aamir Khan, the video game character and the other tiny guy. This last entity sports spiky hair, a punk attitude, and has a tough edge to him. Aamir dubbed for all three versions; real and animated. Video gamers would identify with all three Aamirs in the film. They are unable to differentiate between the real and the unreal. To project all this and more on film is yet more demanding in terms of creative execution.

Explains Chakravarty, ?Animated characters are always challenging. They are photo realistic. However, with this film we didn?t want to go overboard. So we took care not to play around with Aamir?s character so much that the viewers would not recognise him.?

Chakravarty goes on to add that the last dialogue would have demanded an English line but we were looking for a Hindi closing so Aamir suggested ?Aati kya khandala?? That?s the line on which the real Aamir reaction is finally built.

The film ends when the short-height animated character, who is Aamir?s rival in the game, also steps into the real world to enjoy a Coca-Cola with him and the girls guffaw. The communication ends with??Aap Muskuraingey, Bul Bule Gun Gunayaingey? ? Open Happiness? (You smile, so do the bubbles in a bottle of Coca-Cola).?

Kashmira Chadha, director, marketing, Coca-Cola India, says, ?The idea was to convey that happiness flows from simple things; opening a bottle of Coca-Cola, for instance!?