Coca Cola initiated its “Coming Together” advertisement project this January by releasing a new video commercial, Coming Together ad of Coca Cola. This project was aimed to raise awareness about the issue of global obesity and other health issues caused by modern day eating habits. As one of the leading beverage brand in the world, Coca Cola talks about how people should act to reduce and stop obesity.
In the commercial, Coca Cola rolls out its endless portfolio of its beverage products, talking about how they have reduced calories and sizes of its sugary drinks, such as Coca Cola, Fuze, and many more. It also mentions about their actions to reduce child obesity by replacing high-calorie drinks by low-calorie drinks throughout the schools in North America.
Is Coca Cola truly concerned about the global health issues and willing to take serious actions to reduce them? Is Coca Cola taking responsibility of causing global obesity as one of the most popular soda brands that are consumed daily by those who have obesity? This video, under the veil of Coca Cola’s fabricated concern about global health, is simply a “damage control” of what it has done through years and years of their production of what poses the most threat to our health. Really, Coca Cola is saying, “We have reduced the sizes of the cans of sugary, high-calorie drinks for those who want to be less fat, but still, if you want the whole 2L bottle of coke, then its right beside it”. It’s also saying, “Are we really responsible for your obesity just because we offered you a choice of drinking what makes you obese, or is it you that is responsible for not exercising and being lazy?”.
The reaction of those who saw the commercial reveals that Coca Cola has done wrong. People are saying that this project is not a true responsible action of Coca Cola, it is merely another golden advertisement to increase its sales and brand awareness. One of the Youtube viewers even say “The world would be a better place without Coca Cola”. Also, a consumer-revised, Honest Version of Coming Together was made by one of Youtube vloggers, that actually tells people “Do not drink Coca Cola” to those who are in risk of having obesity.
The new commercial of Coca Cola is not a good example of how brands should take social responsibilities about what they have done. This is not going to influence people about the world health issues, or decrease the number of obesity.