These ads show Coca-Cola’s positive impact on America’s obesity epidemic
Consumers’ Research is an educational non-profit dedicated to consumer information. On Thursday, a variety of advertising campaigns were launched targeting Coca-Cola for its “woke” political narratives.
These new efforts include an ad in Atlanta, AlwaysWokaCola.com, and mobile billboards attached on trucks that will drive around Coca-Cola headquarters, its museum, and the Georgia State Capitol for the next 28 days. They are part of the ongoing, seven-figure ad campaigns targeting “woke” companies.
“Today we launch AlwaysWokaCola.com with the accompanying ads as an ironic reminder to Coke that their consumers are more important than waking politicians,” Will Hild (executive director of Consumers Research) said in a statement to FOX Business on Thursday.
These ads show Coca-Cola’s role in the United States’ obesity epidemic. There are reports that Coca-Cola, along with other major U.S. brands, lobbied against a bill that would have prohibited companies from using labor in China’s Xinjiang Province. This is where Muslim minorities are subject to forced labor (though Coca-Cola denies it does use forced labor).
Wild stated that the company had shifted its focus away from the customer’s well-being. Their products continue to contribute to childhood obesity. They have sourced sugar from China using forced labor and have poor quality control. Staff trainings include racist directives such as ‘be less white.’
Hild’s statement refers to the efforts of the soft drink company to promote an online training seminar that was available on LinkedIn. It encouraged employees to “try being less white” to fight racial discrimination.
Coca-Cola sent a letter to FOX Business at that time, stating that the slides attributed the company’s training program “aren’t part of the company’s learning curriculum” and that its “Better Together” global training is part a learning plan to build an inclusive workplace.
Consumers’ Research in May called out Coca-Cola, American Airlines, and Nike for putting politicians above their customers as part of its first phase. This month, the nonprofit also targeted Major League Baseball (MLB) and Ticketmaster.
The May Consumers Research ad centered on Coca-Cola’s concerns about new GOP voting legislation for Georgia.
Coca-Cola stated that while we respect the rights of everyone to voice their concerns and share their opinions, the best way for us to move forward is to get together to listen, respectfully and collaboratively find a way forward. “We are open to constructive conversations with groups that may have different views.”
Consumers’ Research had expressed concern about sugary drinks leading obesity. The company stated that it has taken steps to reduce sugar consumption in the U.S. as well as around the globe.
Hild stated that he hopes the new campaign will “amplify consumers’ frustration with the company’s failures and serve as a warning to Coke, and all other companies.”
He stated that any corporation that takes radical positions on social and political issues to get positive praise from the press and politicians is on notice that it won’t work.