A month ago, Coke rolled out white Coca-Cola cans to celebrate the holidays. It was a symbol for a partnership with the World Wildlife Fund, meant to highlight global warming’s threat to polar bears’ arctic habitat. The flop-of-a-campaign left Coke customers seeing red, and wanting back their precious red cans. Complaints of blasphemy came from consumers on YouTube, Facebook, and Twitter. Sure enough, the drink giant’s spokesman announced this week that it would halt the production of white cans, shipping red back out by next week. And what happens to the 1.4 billion white cans that are being dumped because of the outcry… so much for saving the planet!?
So this begs the question: in a world with no social media, would we become so incredibly irritated with something so small? Does social media make us a more ornery society? And also, would Coca-Cola ever know that so many white can haters existed if it weren’t for silly posts and YouTube videos (like this one).
Food (or a red can of coke!) for thought on a Friday…what do YOU think?
