Frater Featured in Coca-Cola Ad

There's four seconds left in the game and the Hokies just sank another basket against Duke making the score 75-74, VT.

Hokie fan Frater Nick Bennett of Xi-Omega Chapter (Virginia Tech) downs the remaining gulp of his Coca-Cola thinking the game is in the bag when Duke throws a three pointer to win the game. It all came down to no coke in the can...

Bennett is convinced that his superstition is real when it comes to Coke and the Hokies. For him, running out of Coke before the game ended was the reason VT lost the Duke basketball game in December of 2005.

If you've been following Hokie basketball this season, then you may have seen Bennett, a Virginia Tech alumnus, making a VT out of Coca-Cola cans in a Coca-cola commercial.

From his hometown of McLean, Va. to Blacksburg, to Los Angeles, Bennett has never lost his Hokie pride.

The commercial was built around Bennett's superstition of Coke and Hokie basketball.

The Coca-Cola Company held a casting call for anyone with Coke related superstitions. Bennett sent in his headshot and a synopsis of his superstition.

Soon, Coke contacted him for an interview. But landing the gig was not as easy as you might think.

The producers grilled Bennett with questions about Hokie sports, trivia and facts for hours to make sure that he was a dedicated fan and did not fabricate the story.

"It was like they were on the sports website-I felt like I was in a final exam," Bennett said.

The superstition got started here at Virginia Tech. Beer was not allowed to be used to make the VT in the dorms during games, so instead Coke cans were substituted.

Bennett said he has always been superstitious with sports. He thought that maybe what he was doing, the way he was sitting, somehow impacted the game.

During the 1994 season, the superstition paid off making Virginia Tech.

After making the VT, the team seemed to do well so he continued the tradition throughout the 1994 championship season.

The commercial itself was filmed on a set, but all the Hokie gear is Bennett's. He returned to Blacksburg for the UVA vs. VT football game in November and spent $600 dollars on Hokie merchandise.

Coke would reimburse him for his purchase. They weren't sure what all would be used in the commercial.

Bennett grew up in McLean, Virginia. At first he wanted to attend an arts college, but he followed in his two older brothers' footsteps and came to Blacksburg.

"In hindsight, I came out with an amazing experience...the education I got was outstanding" Bennett said.

Not to mention, he may have never grabbed a Coke commercial.

He triple majored in Accounting, Marketing, and Theatre Arts and acted in many plays, including The Foreigner, by Larry Shue, which may have been Virginia Tech's most successful play. Shows were sold out for the entire run of the performance.

Not only does Bennett continue his Coke tradition, but sincerely wants the whole Hokie Nation to take part to keep the winning going.

You can help keep the spirit of the tradition alive, and keep the commercial airing, by visiting http://www.cokefeedback.com, and telling them you like the commercial. You can also view the commercial by clicking here.

Adapted from Planet Blacksburg News Article. If you would like to see your chapter news here, contact Communications Coordinator Tom McAninch.