Coke Never Advertised To Kids, Is "Wholesome"
I don't have kids, but if I did, instead of breastfeeding them I would give them bottles of Coke. That's because Coke is "wholesome." And if they grew up drinking Coke, it would be because of the decisions I made and choices I taught them to take, because Coke has never advertised to kids. Both these "becauses" are supplied by Coca-Cola. See, Dr. Dr. Yoni Freedhoff spotted an ad page 1632 of the June 17th edition of the Canadian Medical Association Journal that said:
Can't remember the last Coca-Cola ad targeted at children? There's a reason...Parents tell us they prefer to be the ones teaching their children about beverage choices. That's why for over 50 years we've adhered to a company policy that prohibits advertising soft drinks to children.
When he sent a letter to the editor of the medical journal, it got published, along with a response from Coke. Now the CanWest newswire service has picked up the story and Coke remains steadfast, calling their drinks "wholesome.":
But Coca-Cola Canada stands by the position that it does not advertise soft drinks to children. "Absolutely, because it is true," spokeswoman Amy Laski said in a statement.Coke is "wholesome and suitable" for kids, but "we understand that children are impressionable, and we respect the role of parents and caregivers in making food and beverage choices with their children. Therefore, we are committed not to directly market messages for any of our beverages to children under 12."
Oh, how soon we forget those New Kids On The Block branding partnerships of yesteryear!
Coca-Cola Lies to Doctors? [Weighty Matters]
Vetting journal advertisements [CMAJ]
Coca-Cola Canada responds [CMAJ]
Santa, animated animal ads not aimed at kids, Coke says [CanWest]
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Comments:
What about all those adorable penguin and polar bear commercials? Don't tell me those aren't aimed at kiddos.
Well I was a Coca-Cola kid and ya know what. I now have Type 2 diabetes. Kind of wish I had drank more water as a kid.
No there is no family history of diabetes, no I am not fat (6'0" 165lbs.), and I played every sport on the planet as a kid and am still active today in mountain biking and scuba diving.
Too much juice and soda as a kid and not enough water is my endocrinologists opinion of my condition.
Remember kiddies, all things in moderation. Too much of anything can be bad.
Let me tell you somne of the things coke can be used for besides drinking: cleaning chrome on car, making a nail disappear in 3 days, and my personal favorite, cleaning the barrel of a howitzer!
The best part of coke is that pure coke syrup has to be carried in semi's marked with hazardous materials labels because it is so acidic.
Boy would I be pissed if Junior came home and told me someone else was teaching him about beverage choices. That kind of thing belongs in the home.
It's a little disturbing to know Ben would breast feed his kids. Wish he would let his wife do that instead.
Really...never advertised to kids? So that cute polar bear commercial they play at Christmas doesn't appeal to kids. Oh, and those exclusive marketing deals with schools to carry only coke products, those don't count either? Amazing...Amazing BS, that is.
@SpdRacer: It's a good idea to research myths before blindly believing them...
[www.snopes.com]
[www.snopes.com]
Nothing more annoying than someone who automatically believes something they read in an E-Mail...
"Can't remember the last Coca-Cola ad targeted at children?" Are they for real? i guess they expect us Coke-drinkers to have short attention spans. The most memorable Coke commercial for me was the "Mean" Joe Green ad where he chugged a whole pint of Coke before tossing some 10-yr old kid his filthy jersey. i thought that was so cool! i also heard that it took Joe Green like 10 takes to chug the whole pint, and each time he was downin' those Cokes, so of course i tried it. It hurt. My nose, my throat, my stomach.
Oh, and i guess the ubiquitous Coke machines in schools don't count as ads, either, huh Coke? Or the appearance of coke-labeled cups in every McDonald's ad?? STFU! You are banned!!! Banned!! No more Coke for me!! Now, where'd i put my coffee?
@SpdRacer: In case you don't want to read anything, here's a good video you can watch. Unless you think Jamie and Adam are in "Big Cola's" pocket. [video.google.com]
I have the same stance with soda as I do with Scotch. I want to be the ones that tell my kids about it, as to make intelligent choices.
If my daughter brought home some Chivas Regal, I would march her back to the store and introduce her to Macallan.
It just isn't proper for nice young ladies to drink bad scotch.
"It's a little disturbing to know Ben would breast feed his kids. Wish he would let his wife do that instead."
LOL. It's posts like that that make me wish there was a Digg/Bury-style mechanism on the comments. :D
@Git Em SteveDave loves this guy-->: I believe that terminology is used in the "other" half of America. *ducks*
My five year old daughter cannot stand the taste of carbonated drinks. She will drink water, [high fructose corn syrup free]juice, or milk instead.
So the $150 million CC spent to be in Harry Potter was not aimed at kids?!?
"Directly advertise" being the key.
I work with kids, granted not in Canada, and there are plenty of places where kids are exposed to the Coke brand. Sport events, score boards, recycling bins...all directly placed in areas where children below the age of 12 will see them and recognize them.
I once had a child try to tell me he needed to go buy a Sprite because he was "allergic to water." I told him I was not quite as dumb as I looked.
@Git Em SteveDave, @ShizaMinelli: loves this guy-->:I have used it to clean chrome and make a 10 penny nail corrode into nothing, didn't say anything about a tooth. And I have friends in the military who have used it to clean howitzers. And the part about the hazmat label is also true, used to have a CDL and a hazmat endorsement.
@crashedpc: It sounds like a word people who have to pump their own gas would use. I don't trust people who can pump their own gas....
If Joe the Camel is slyly targeting kids by being a cartoonish character, those polar bears certainly are.
I don't drink the stuff, and haven't since I was very young because I don't like dark colas and never really have. But even I begged my mom for a stuffed polar bear when they first started those Christmas ads.
Not to mention the celebs they use in their advertisements are ones that kids idolize and they know it.
@SpdRacer: Well in that case, let's just ignore what dedicated researchers say and just listen to a commenter for the truth!
I'm surprised no one has mentioned that they put Santa Claus on their containers every Christmas. Why would a kid ever be attracted to that?
This article somehow makes me very thirsty.
@johnarlington: Ever seen Thank You For Smoking? I could totally see someone spinning this the same way...
@jdhuck: Scotch is like a woman, anything under 18 is bad for you anything over 30 I just can't afford. And if its only 12....you're just sick.
@Git Em SteveDave loves this guy-->: But... but... I pump my own gas and I call it soda! Or as my sister calls it, "devil juice".
@dripdrop: Real or not, I don't know, the only reality is the one in my own head. Whee!
Everybody knows that Dr. Pepper is the only REAL wholesome pop.
...Cause, it's, a... Doctor...
p.s. Yes it's POP where I come from. POP.
@LindsayC: Hey don't forget that they frickin invented Santa Claus for the sake of selling Soda. Don't market to children my ass.
@tmlfan81: I was the same way when I was a kid...couldn't stand the taste of cola. I still don't drink soda all that often, usually when visiting friends or if I'm the designated driver at a bar.
I used to drink a lot of milk too, but I can't anymore (plus it's too expensive) so I mostly drink water these days, with some fruit juice in the morning, some tea now and then and of course precious, precious beer :)
@Fist-oâ„¢: I share the DP love, but I call it soda. I've never heard of a 'pop-jerk.'
Nevertheless, I vow to reach across the aisle to my pop-loving brethren to spread the spirit of Dr. Pepper's cane-sugar sweetened muti-flavor bouquet.
To quote the company's official website:
"The Coca-Cola Santa has had a powerful, enduring quality that continues to resonate today. Many of the original paintings can be seen on display at World of Coca-Cola Atlanta or touring during the holiday season."
Don't anybody tell me that Santa isn't an icon who appeals predominantly to kids. Hell, Coke's version of Santa Claus is so ingrained in our culture that his is the first image most North American kids associate with Santa.
Coke's Santa, by the way, has been going strong for over 75 years, now.
@cjones27:Just for the record I will always take personal experience over the opinion of some T.V./Internet personality. Because we all know what they say about opinions... I didn't say you had to believe me, I just said that I HAVE done these things with coke, and had them WORK.
Everyone knows Coke associates with terrorists. You need to vote for nice wholesome prune juice.
God, sorry. I'm so sick of this campaign.
@Fist-oâ„¢: I'll admit, I'm pretty hooked on diet Dr Pepper. I'm trying to quit, but I'm coming from the 'hook it to my veeeiiins!' level of addiction.
...and where I'm from (Canadian west coast, and now Toronto), it's also called pop.
@Xerloq: In NJ, we don't have this "pop" substance. We do however have soda. After spending some years in college in PA, where they say "y'unz/y'uns" and "pop", I was constantly getting into debates/arguements over the proper word.
@crashedpc: Do you have pork roll and/or Taylor Ham? B/c I can forgive the gas pumping, but if you don't have Taylor Ham, then you can stay over in your "crazy world".
Coke, right up there with carrots and whole grain breads.
It is made with wholesome corn syrup, a natural product