The newest ad for Diet Coke shows a woman lacing up her roller boots, apparently as part of her commute. She sips her drink, and the street is suddenly cleared of the besuited bustle – leaving our gal free to sail the streets without having to worry about cars or commuters.

To a cover of Björk’s It’s Oh So Quiet (nice, but not a terribly original choice), her routine gets increasingly extravagant, culminating in a magical leap into the air that sees her ascend to the clouds… before the dream sequence ends: she smiles and continues her journey.

It’s not long ago, of course, that empty streets were a nightmarish part of real life – so it’s interesting to see the image return as a fantasy so quickly. The idea ‘diet’ drinks are the domain of women, however, apparently remains a reality.