Riding my skateboard to school today (Zero-emissions, believe it), I had to pull a double take as I passed this gaudy VitaminWater billboard on wheels.
Yes it is huge, and yes it is colourful. But what really caught my eye was plastered on the back:
That’s right. Apparently this van is carbon-neutral. Not only does it make a Hummer look like a smart car, it has speakers built into the exterior for extra obnoxiousness! As I wrapped my head around it, I just could not (and still can’t) comprehend how they are achieving this bold claim. Has Glaceau (a subsidiary of Coca-Cola) developed some sort of alternative fuel, based on vitamin enriched sugary beverages? Perhaps they are purchasing carbon offsets? If so, somewhere in the world a lot of trees are being planted to keep this thing on the road. No information was available from any of their online materials regarding carbon-neutrality, so I was left only to my imagination.
What it really boils down to, is that sometimes when companies make such strong claims to carbon neutrality (or other “green” positive issues), it only works against their credibility if they cannot back it up. And considering that the company is already in hot water over its beverages health benefits (see here), maybe they need to rethink their positioning, before they offend anyone else.
Note: The window was already broken when I got there. I did not kick it in with uncontrollable rage. Although, I did think of it.
Tags: Badvertising1 Comment
1 response so far ↓
Awesome post, but I’m pretty sure you did break that window. Just saying 🙂