Staff Writer
Coca Cola commercials have ranged everywhere from animated soda bottles to soda drinking polar bears. But the Coca Cola company pulled a new tactic in its recent “Share a Coke” campaign.
This recent gimmick has inspired several memes, as the personalization software allowed fans to create their own logos and slogans on the familiar red and white soda can. But things escalated quickly, and Coca Cola had to pull the software out of public reach, followed by a formal apology to the offended parties.
Instinct.com reported the apology from coke that stated; “We are aware that the Share a Coke promotion we are running in South Africa has generated an unintended outcome. We apologize for any offense caused. The Share a Coke program was created to allow consumers to take the iconic “Coca-Cola” script and replace it with their name on the can. In South Africa, the digital version of the Share a Coke promotion did not properly limit the customization to individuals’ names. We’ve taken down the site and are in the process of revising the digital tool immediately…As one of the world’s most inclusive brands, we value and celebrate diversity. We have long been a strong supporter of the LGBT community and have advocated for inclusion, equality and diversity through both our policies and practices. Again we apologize for any offense this has caused.”
While the company has a 100% on the HRC corporate equality index, this apology may still have far to go to repair the damage done by the users of the software.
But this is not the first time Coca Cola has been in trouble. As a main supporter of the Sochi Olympics, the company faced several gay boycotts. In fact, its involvement with the Russian Olympics kept them from receiving an LGBT award.
Will this apology be enough to turn Coca Cola’s luck? Only time will tell.
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