Twitter Turns Against @CocaCola: Truck Visits and #Racist #AbreTuCorazon #Ad
Coca Cola has had an intimate relationship with Christmas for decades, for many signalling the start of the festive season when their iconic ad hits TV screens, but this year the reception has been a little frosty in many areas of the UK.
With concerns over childhood obesity and general health issues on the rise, many have criticised the appearance of the Coca Cola truck for spreading a harmful message to children by endorsing a high sugar diet. As has become standard practice these days, they took to Twitter to air their frustration.
Celebrity chef Jamie Oliver's recent calls for a 'sugar tax' seems to have added fuel to the fire by bringing the issue to the forefront of people's minds. If you take a look at the image below, it is easy to see why people are worried about what their children are consuming.
Despite all the negativity, not everyone views the truck's visits in such a negative light. For many, the festive feel of the event is an essential part of the holiday season and the joy it brings to their children is priceless. Coca Cola's other festive fail of 2015, however, might be harder to resolve.
Coca Cola released a new ad depicting a group of pale-skinned individuals travelling into the heart of Mexico, armed with an ample supply of Coca Cola, to spread joy and promote unity. Unfortunately the ad, being shared using the hashtag #AbreTuCorazon, somewhat missed the mark and has drawn heavy opposition due to its presentation of a 'white saviour' for the 'subordinate' indigenous population.
Elvira Pablo, an indigenous lawyer speaking at a recent conference in Mexico City, described the ad as “an act of discrimination and racism” before further stating, “It is a comment on our type of life and an attempt to put a culture of consumerism in it's place."
Pablo's statements were supported by Consumer Power spokesperson Diana Turner, who called the ad “outrageous for the indigenous”, while a statement on their website also attacks the ad for being “discriminatory and detrimental to the health of indigenous people”.
Harsh words. But are they justified?
As always with this kind of online backlash there are people, including many indigenous Mexicans, who are speaking up in defense of the ad. They assert that a group of people choosing to give help and happiness to another should be considered a positive move, regardless of skin colour, race or gender. Sadly it is always the way with stories such as this that the opposition will drown out the support, which has forced Coca Cola to remove the ad from their own YouTube channel.
Luckily (for us, in this case) nothing is ever truly deleted from the internet, so you can view the ad below and decide for yourself. Is it racist? Or are people simply being too sensitive?
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| mumsintheknow |
@dailypostwales (Scrooge alert) with high levels of obesity& diabetes in North Wales why is the @CocaCola truck cause for celebration?
— #HelloMyNameIs Matt (@COSMakin) December 2, 2015
Celebrity chef Jamie Oliver's recent calls for a 'sugar tax' seems to have added fuel to the fire by bringing the issue to the forefront of people's minds. If you take a look at the image below, it is easy to see why people are worried about what their children are consuming.
Isn't it great to see the people of #chester celebrating Christmas? @ChesterChron @ChronCarmella @ShitChester pic.twitter.com/u0OfifRJqU
— Bad Banjo Botherer (@glenmeskell) December 3, 2015
Despite all the negativity, not everyone views the truck's visits in such a negative light. For many, the festive feel of the event is an essential part of the holiday season and the joy it brings to their children is priceless. Coca Cola's other festive fail of 2015, however, might be harder to resolve.
.@CocaCola is working on some genius colonialist branding in Mexico with its out-of-touch racist #AbreTuCorazon campaign. .@CocaColaMx
— Denali (@VictorZapat1) November 29, 2015
Coca Cola released a new ad depicting a group of pale-skinned individuals travelling into the heart of Mexico, armed with an ample supply of Coca Cola, to spread joy and promote unity. Unfortunately the ad, being shared using the hashtag #AbreTuCorazon, somewhat missed the mark and has drawn heavy opposition due to its presentation of a 'white saviour' for the 'subordinate' indigenous population.
So.... It's basically hipster colonialism ........#AbreTuCorazon pic.twitter.com/G0mldrFgBK
— Itza Bocken (@ItzaWorld) December 2, 2015
@CocaColaMx Exactly WHO developed this moronic ad campaign? They must hate Mexico and #Latinos. #AbreTuCorazon My ass!
— LUPITA❗️ (@mostwiselatina2) December 2, 2015
more insulting than their ad, is the fact that they are making my people morbidly obese and sick #AbreTuCorazon #OpenYourHeart
— Sabandija del terror (@olomerol) December 3, 2015
Elvira Pablo, an indigenous lawyer speaking at a recent conference in Mexico City, described the ad as “an act of discrimination and racism” before further stating, “It is a comment on our type of life and an attempt to put a culture of consumerism in it's place."
Pablo's statements were supported by Consumer Power spokesperson Diana Turner, who called the ad “outrageous for the indigenous”, while a statement on their website also attacks the ad for being “discriminatory and detrimental to the health of indigenous people”.
Harsh words. But are they justified?
As always with this kind of online backlash there are people, including many indigenous Mexicans, who are speaking up in defense of the ad. They assert that a group of people choosing to give help and happiness to another should be considered a positive move, regardless of skin colour, race or gender. Sadly it is always the way with stories such as this that the opposition will drown out the support, which has forced Coca Cola to remove the ad from their own YouTube channel.
Luckily (for us, in this case) nothing is ever truly deleted from the internet, so you can view the ad below and decide for yourself. Is it racist? Or are people simply being too sensitive?
Sam
is an aspiring novelist with a passion for fantasy and crime thrillers.
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Twitter Turns Against @CocaCola: Truck Visits and #Racist #AbreTuCorazon #Ad
Reviewed by Unknown
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Saturday, December 05, 2015
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Reviewed by Unknown
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Saturday, December 05, 2015
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Unknown
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