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Coca-Cola sued over ad by Johnny Cash estate
Johnny Cash’s estate alleges Coca-Cola used a sound-alike voice in a 2025 NCAA campaign without licensing, violating Tennessee's ELVIS Act protecting voice rights.
- On November 25, The Trust, the estate of Johnny Cash, sued The Coca‑Cola Company in Tennessee alleging it used Cash's voice without permission in the 'Fan Work Is Thirsty Work' campaign and 'Go the Distance' commercial.
- The Trust says Coca‑Cola relied on the goodwill tied to Cash's voice, invoking the Tennessee General Assembly's 'ELVIS Act', and owns all rights to Johnny Cash's name, image, likeness, and voice.
- An advertising agency commissioned an original song and hired a professional Johnny Cash tribute singer to perform it, the suit says, aiming to make the 'Go the Distance' commercial sound remarkably like Johnny Cash's voice.
- The suit says the commercial remains on air and alleges The Coca‑Cola Company is continuing to broadcast the ad and 'exploit the Voice' without authorization; FOX Television Stations sought comment.
- Given Cash's stature, the complaint emphasizes he sold more than 90 million records worldwide and the Trust says his 'Voice' has been licensed only two times since his death, the suit says.
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Coca-Cola slapped with lawsuit by estate of music legend Johnny Cash: 'Intentionally, fraudulently, maliciously'
Coca-Cola has found itself at the center of another controversy. What happened? Coca-Cola is the subject of a lawsuit for the unauthorized use of Johnny Cash's signature sound and singing style for a national advertising campaign According to Fox Nebraska, Johnny Cash's estate is suing the global brand for its 2025 NCAA college football ad campaign, which featured the the slogan "Fan Work is Thirsty Work" and a male country vocalist singing in …
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Total News Sources32
Leaning Left3Leaning Right4Center15Last UpdatedBias Distribution68% Center
Bias Distribution
- 68% of the sources are Center
68% Center
14%
C 68%
R 18%
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