Most of us have seen hidden-camera tricks where some unwitting subject raves about what they are eating because they have been told it’s a certain brand or from a well-regarded restaurant, only to find out it’s a generic frozen dinner from the supermarket. What if these people aren’t necessarily pretending to like the food? A new study shows that brands may make us so predisposed to an opinion that we don’t use the part of our brain that helps to make such judgements. [More]
coca cola
Appeals Court Hears Arguments On NYC’s Fizzling Big-Soda Ban
By 6.11.13
It’s been three months since a judge tossed out New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s ban on sugary drinks larger than 16 ounces, calling the regulation “arbitrary and capricious.” Today, a state appeals court panel heard arguments for and against the ban, but it doesn’t look good for Mayor Mike. [More]
From The Shameless To The Egregious, We Grade The Product Placements In 12 Ad-Packed Movies
By 6.7.13
You’ve probably seen the 30-second TV ads promoting that new 2-hour commercial for Google starring those two actors from that other movie that people really liked eight years ago. We’d like to think product placement has sunk to a new low, but every time we’re convinced that advertisers have hit bottom, someone throws them a more powerful digging implement. [More]
Coca-Cola’s New Personalized Bottles Bumming Out People With Uncommon Names
By 5.29.13
By the time I was perhaps 7, I knew that approaching the rack of personalized license plates at the gift shop with even the tiniest shred of hope was a mistake. There would be no Mary Beth on there, only Mary, Tiffany, Jessica, Heather and other common names. That feeling of hopelessness is spreading now in various corners of the globe with Coca-Cola’s new campaign touting personalized soda bottles. [More]
Is The Real, Super Secret Coca-Cola Recipe For Sale On eBay?
By 5.14.13
The Legend Of The Super Secret Coca-Cola Recipe is thus: It’s like, super secret — as denoted by the legend’s name — and is kept hidden away in a safe at the World Of Coca-Cola museum in Atlanta so no mustachioed villains from PepsiCo or elsewhere can twirl said facial hair diabolically and then steal it. Only a few employees at a time are rumored to know the formula. But one self-described treasure hunter says not only did he find it, he’s putting it up for sale on eBay. [More]
Coca-Cola Says It Will Stop Marketing To Kids
By 5.8.13
Being the nation’s largest soft-drink company, Coca-Cola has found itself the target of criticism from some lawmakers, regulators, public health advocates, and parents about sugary drinks’ contribution to America’s expanding waistline. Today, the company announced several goals intended to shake that stigma, including a promise to stop marketing directly to children. [More]
Coca-Cola Peddling New “Fruitwater” Beverage… Without Any Actual Fruit In It
By 3.20.13
People like fizzy, flavored drinks but with consumers moving toward the healthy side of things, beverage companies are a bit wary of getting Bloomberged if there’s sugary stuff in those products. Coca-Cola has come up with a solution — calorie-free fizziness with the word “fruit” in the title, but um, no actual fruit in the drink. [More]
Customer Claims To Have Discovered This… Thing… Inside Minute Maid Juice Container
By 3.14.13
We know that compromised juice containers can turn a pleasant beverage into a mold-apalooza, but we’ve never seen anything like this before. [More]
JCPenney Pinning Its Hopes On The Guy Responsible For Marketing New Coke
By 2.28.13
JCPenney CEO Ron Johnson had a lot of explaining to do today during the company’s Q4 earnings call. The retailer has been circling the drain since the former Apple head honcho took over, losing billions in sales and admitting its turnaround tactics were not so smart. Which is why Johnson said he’s bringing on the guy behind New Coke to help the company rebound. Heck, why not? [More]
Group Calls For Limits On Sugar In Soft Drinks
By 2.13.13
The Center for Science in the Public Interest, which loves to ruin everyone’s day by reminding people of all the calories and fat in the foods we enjoy, are calling on the FDA to set a safe level of added sugars in soft drinks and other sweetened beverages. [More]
Coroner Concludes Woman’s 2 Gallon A Day Coca-Cola Habit “A Substantial Factor” In Her Death
By 2.12.13
When a New Zealand woman died in February 2010, her family swiftly pointed fingers at her 2.2 gallon a day Coke habit. Not the white powdery stuff, the drinkable, cola-y stuff. And although it’s taken three years, a coroner has found that the beverage was a major factor in her death. Coca-Cola had pointed out last year that too much water is bad for you as well, so it’s not surprising that the company disagrees with the ruling. [More]
Pepsi To Replace Coke In Costco’s Beloved $1.50 Soda & Hot Dog Deal
By 2.4.13
For many Costco shoppers, a trip to the warehouse store isn’t complete without stopping by the lunch counter and plunking down $1.50 for a hot dog and a Coca-Cola beverage. It’s the same price and pairing the company has had since 1985. But that’s about to change, with Costco making the decision to switch all its stores over to Pepsi. [More]
Your Morning OJ Is The Result Of A Complicated Algorithm Designed For Maximum Tastiness
By 2.1.13
Whether you like it pulp-free, full of pulp, sweet or tarty, orange juice is probably the most popular breakfast beverage around, especially when it’s freshly-squeezed. Pressed for time, many consumers opt for “fresh” offerings like Coca-Cola’s Simply Juice orange juice. But despite that moniker, it turns out the stuff is anything but simple. Instead, the company employs a baffling array of complicated mathematical calculations, satellite imagery and an all-knowing algorithm. [More]
Coca-Cola Taking Its Head Out Of The Sand, Addressing Obesity For The First Time In Ads
By 1.14.13
We thought we might never see the day when Coca-Cola finally decided to join the obesity conversation, but as health advocates rail against high-calorie drinks, the company is stepping into the fray with an ad campaign addressing obesity. The first TV spot will air for two minutes today on a smattering of networks, and will highlight Coca-Cola’s drinks with fewer calories. [More]
How Did A Coke Only Cost A Nickel For 70 Years? Because Coca-Cola Said So
By 11.15.12
We’ve all heard the stories from our elders about how things have changed since they were wee ones. There were five-mile hikes to school in the snow, mean nuns with rulers and a propensity to slap, and Cokes for only five cents. But hold up — how could I have heard the story of the five-cent Coke from my mother and her father? And if I spoke to my great-grandfather he likely would’ve said the same thing. How in the heck did a Coke cost five cents for 70 years? [More]
The Last Returnable 6.5-Ounce Coca-Cola Bottle Has Made Its Final Roll Off The Line
By 10.11.12
Clutch your tiny 6.5-ounce returnable glass Coca-Cola bottle close if you’ve got one, because there won’t be any more where that came from. A small Coke bottler up in Minnesota says the last one rolled off the production line, and it isn’t going to make any more of that same kind because it just doesn’t make business sense. Darn you, business sense! [More]
Polarizing Video Asks “What If Those Coca-Cola Bears Actually Drank A Lot Of Soda?”
By 10.10.12
For years, Coca-Cola has aired ads featuring adorable animated polar bears that just love to drink the brown beverage. But a new video — created by the ad genius behind commercials for Burger King and yes, even Coca-Cola — tries to use those bears to push a message about guzzling too much soda. [More]
Coke & Pepsi Vending Machines Will Get Calorie Counts, Push Low-Calorie Drinks
By 10.8.12
Even though soda cans and bottles now feature large, clear calorie counts, the makers of the biggest brands of fizzy drinks have decided to go ahead and put calorie information on some of their vending machines starting in 2013. [More]
