On April 23, 1985, Coca-Cola, amid much publicity, attempted to change the formula of the drink with "New Coke". Follow-up taste tests revealed that most consumers preferred the taste of New Coke to both Coke and Pepsi, but Coca-Cola management was unprepared forthe public'snostalgia for the old drink, leading to a backlash. The company gave in to protests and returned to a variation of the old formula, with high-fructose replacing cane sugar, under the name Coca-Cola Classic on July 10, 1985. 21st Century On February 7, 2005, the Coca-Cola Company announced that in the second quarter of 2005 they planned to launch a Diet Cokeproduct sweetened with the artificial sweetenersucralose ("Splenda"), the same sweetener currently used in Pepsi One. [18][19] On March 21, 2005, it announced another diet product, Coca-Cola Zero, sweetened partly with a blend ofaspartameandacesulfame potassium . [20] In 2007, Coca-Cola began to sell a new "healthy soda": Diet Coke with vitamins B 6 , B 12 , magnesium, niacin, and zinc, marketed as "Diet Coke Plus." On July 5, 2005, it was revealed that Coca-Cola would resume operations in Iraqfor the first time since the Arab League boycotted the company in 1968. [21] In April 2007, in Canada, the name "Coca-Cola Classic" was changed back to "Coca-Cola." The word "Classic" was truncated because "New Coke" was no longer in production, eliminating the need to differentiate between the two . [22] The formula remained unchanged. In January 2009, Coca-Cola stopped printing the word "Classic" on the labels of 16-ounce bottles sold in parts of the southeastern United States . [23] The change is part of a largerstrategy to rejuvenate the product's image. [23] In November 2009, due to a dispute over wholesale prices of Coca-Cola products, Costco stopped restocking its shelves with Coke and Diet Coke. [24] Use of stimulants in formula When launched Coca-Cola's two key ingredients were cocaine (benzoylmethyl ecgonine) and caffeine. The cocaine was derived from the coca leaf and the caffeine fromkola nut, leading to the name Coca-Cola (the "K" in Kola was replaced with a "C" for marketing purposes). [25] [26] Coca — cocaine Pemberton called for five ounces of coca leaf per gallon of syrup, a significant dose; in 1891, Candler claimed his formula (altered extensively from Pemberton's original) contained only a tenth of this amount. Coca-Cola did once contain an estimated nine milligrams ofcocaine perglass, but in 1903 it was removed. [27] Coca-Cola still contains coca flavoring. After 1904, instead of using fresh leaves, Coca-Cola started using "spent" leaves — the leftovers of the cocaine-extraction process with cocainetrace levels left over at a molecularlevel. [28] To this day, Coca-Cola uses as an ingredient a cocaine-freecoca leaf extract prepared at a Stepan Companyplant in Maywood, New Jersey. In the United States, Stepan Companyis the only manufacturing plant authorized by the Federal Government to import and process the cocaplant, [29] which it obtains mainly from Peru and, to a lesser extent, Bolivia. Besides producing the coca flavoring agent for Coca- Cola, Stepan Company extracts cocaine from the coca leaves, which it sells to Mallinckrodt, aSt. Louis, Missouri pharmaceutical manufacturer that is the only company in the United States licensed to purify cocaine for medicinal use . [30] Stepan Company buys about 100 metric tons of dried Peruvian coca leaves each year, according to Marco Castillo, spokesman for Peru's state-owned National Coca Co. [31] Kola nuts — caffeine
Transcript
8/14/2019 On April 23
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On April 23, 1985, Coca-Cola, amid much publicity, attempted to change the formula of thedrink with "New Coke". Follow-up taste tests revealed that most consumers preferred thetaste of New Coke to both Coke and Pepsi, but Coca-Cola management was unprepared for the public's nostalgia for the old drink, leading to a backlash. The company gave in to
protests and returned to a variation of the old formula, with high-fructose replacing cane
sugar, under the name Coca-Cola Classic on July 10, 1985.
21st Century
On February 7, 2005, the Coca-Cola Company announced that in the second quarter of 2005they planned to launch a Diet Coke product sweetened with the artificial sweetener sucralose ("Splenda"), the same sweetener currently used in Pepsi One.[18][19] On March 21, 2005, itannounced another diet product, Coca-Cola Zero, sweetened partly with a blend of aspartame and acesulfame potassium.[20] In 2007, Coca-Cola began to sell a new "healthy soda": DietCoke with vitamins B6, B12, magnesium, niacin, and zinc, marketed as "Diet Coke Plus."
On July 5, 2005, it was revealed that Coca-Cola would resume operations in Iraq for the firsttime since the Arab League boycotted the company in 1968.[21]
In April 2007, in Canada, the name "Coca-Cola Classic" was changed back to "Coca-Cola."The word "Classic" was truncated because "New Coke" was no longer in production,eliminating the need to differentiate between the two.[22] The formula remained unchanged.
In January 2009, Coca-Cola stopped printing the word "Classic" on the labels of 16-ounce bottles sold in parts of the southeastern United States.[23] The change is part of a larger strategy to rejuvenate the product's image.[23]
In November 2009, due to a dispute over wholesale prices of Coca-Cola products, Costcostopped restocking its shelves with Coke and Diet Coke.[24]
Use of stimulants in formula
When launched Coca-Cola's two key ingredients were cocaine (benzoylmethyl ecgonine) andcaffeine. The cocaine was derived from the coca leaf and the caffeine from kola nut, leadingto the name Coca-Cola (the "K" in Kola was replaced with a "C" for marketing purposes).[25]
[26]
Coca — cocaine
Pemberton called for five ounces of coca leaf per gallon of syrup, a significant dose; in 1891,Candler claimed his formula (altered extensively from Pemberton's original) contained only atenth of this amount. Coca-Cola did once contain an estimated nine milligrams of cocaine per glass, but in 1903 it was removed.[27] Coca-Cola still contains coca flavoring.
After 1904, instead of using fresh leaves, Coca-Cola started using "spent" leaves — the
leftovers of the cocaine-extraction process with cocaine trace levels left over at a molecular level.[28] To this day, Coca-Cola uses as an ingredient a cocaine-free coca leaf extract prepared at a Stepan Company plant in Maywood, New Jersey.
In the United States, Stepan Company is the only manufacturing plant authorized by theFederal Government to import and process the coca plant,[29] which it obtains mainly fromPeru and, to a lesser extent, Bolivia. Besides producing the coca flavoring agent for Coca-Cola, Stepan Company extracts cocaine from the coca leaves, which it sells to Mallinckrodt,a St. Louis, Missouri pharmaceutical manufacturer that is the only company in the UnitedStates licensed to purify cocaine for medicinal use.[30] Stepan Company buys about 100metric tons of dried Peruvian coca leaves each year, according to Marco Castillo, spokesmanfor Peru's state-owned National Coca Co.[31]
Kola nuts act as a flavoring and the source of caffeine in Coca-Cola. In Britain, for example,the ingredient label states "Flavourings (Including Caffeine)."[32] Kola nuts contain about 2
percent to 3.5 percent caffeine, are of bitter flavor and are commonly used in cola soft drinks.In 1911, the U.S. government initiated United States v. Forty Barrels and Twenty Kegs of Coca-Cola, hoping to force Coca-Cola to remove caffeine from its formula. The case was
decided in favor of Coca-Cola. Subsequently, in 1912 the U.S. Pure Food and Drug Act wasamended, adding caffeine to the list of "habit-forming" and "deleterious" substances whichmust be listed on a product's label.
Coca-Cola contains 34 mg of caffeine per 12 fluid ounces, while Diet Coke Caffeine-Free contains 0 mg.[33]
Production
A 350 ml Coca-Cola.
Ingredients
• Carbonated water
• Sugar (sucrose or fructose depending on country of origin)
• Caffeine
• Phosphoric acid v. Caramel (E150d)• Natural flavourings[34]
A can of Coke (12 fl ounces/355ml) has 39 grams of carbohydrates (all from sugar), 50 mg of sodium, 0 grams fat, 0 grams potassium, and 140 calories.[35]
Bottles of Coca-Cola Zero and Coca-Cola Light
Formula of natural flavorings
Main article: Coca-Cola formula
The exact formula of Coca-Cola's natural flavourings (but not its other ingredients which arelisted on the side of the bottle or can) is a famous trade secret. The original copy of the
formula is held in SunTrust Bank 's main vault in Atlanta. Its predecessor, the Trust Company,was the underwriter for the Coca-Cola Company's initial public offering in 1919. A popular myth states that only two executives have access to the formula, with each executive havingonly half the formula.[36] The truth is that while Coca-Cola does have a rule restricting accessto only two executives, each knows the entire formula and others, in addition to the
prescribed duo, have known the formulation process.[37]
Franchised production model
The actual production and distribution of Coca-Cola follows a franchising model. The Coca-Cola Company only produces a syrup concentrate, which it sells to bottlers throughout theworld, who hold Coca-Cola franchises for one or more geographical areas. The bottlers
produce the final drink by mixing the syrup with filtered water and sweeteners, and thencarbonate it before putting it in cans and bottles, which the bottlers then sell and distribute toretail stores, vending machines, restaurants and food service distributors.[38]
The Coca-Cola Company owns minority shares in some of its largest franchises, like Coca-Cola Enterprises, Coca-Cola Amatil, Coca-Cola Hellenic Bottling Company (CCHBC) and
Coca-Cola FEMSA, but fully independent bottlers produce almost half of the volume sold inthe world. Independent bottlers are allowed to sweeten the drink according to local tastes. [39]
The bottling plant in Skopje, Macedonia received the 2009 award for "Best BottlingCompany".[40]
Brand portfolio
Name Launched Discontinued Notes Picture
Coca-Cola 1886 The original version of Coca-Cola.
Caffeine-FreeCoca-Cola
1983
Coca-ColaCherry
1985
Was available in Canada starting in 1996.Called "Cherry Coca-Cola (Cherry Coke)"in North America until 2006. Zero-calorievariant (Coca-Cola Cherry Zero) alsocurrently available.
NewCoke/"Coca-
1985 2002 Still available in Yap and AmericanSamoa
American Samoa, Austria, Belgium,Brazil, China, Denmark , Federation of
Bosnia and Herzegovina, Finland, France,Germany, Hong Kong, Iceland, Korea,Luxembourg, Macau, Malaysia,Mongolia, Netherlands, Norway, Réunion,Singapore, Spain, Switzerland, Taiwan,Tunisia, United Kingdom, United States,and West Bank -Gaza
Coca-ColaVanilla
2002 2005
Still available in:
Austria, Australia, China, Germany, HongKong, New Zealand (600ml only)
Malaysia, Sweden (Imported) and Russia.Was called "Vanilla Coca-Cola (VanillaCoke)" during initial U.S. availability.
2007It was reintroduced in June 2007 by
popular demand
Coca-Cola C2 2003 2007Was only available in Japan, Canada, andthe United States.
Coca-Colawith Lime
2005Available in Belgium, Netherlands,Singapore,Canada, and the United States.
Coca-ColaRaspberry
June2005
End of 2005 Was only available in New Zealand.
Coca-ColaZero 2005
Coca-ColaM5
2005Only available in Federation of Bosniaand Herzegovina, Germany, Italy, Spain,Mexico and Brazil
Only available in the United States,France, Canada, Czech Republic, Slovak Republic, Federation of Bosnia andHerzegovina, Bulgaria and Lithuania
Coca-ColaCitra
2006Only available in Federation of Bosniaand Herzegovina, New Zealand andJapan.
Coca-ColaLight Sango
2006 Only available in France and Belgium.
Coca-ColaOrange
2007Only available in the United Kingdom andGibraltar
Logo design
U.S. containers as of 2008[update]. Sizes vary from 8 US fl oz (240 mL) to 2 L (68 US fl oz),shown in cans and glass and plastic bottles.
The famous Coca-Cola logo was created by John Pemberton's bookkeeper, Frank MasonRobinson, in 1885.[41] Robinson came up with the name and chose the logo's distinctivecursive script. The typeface used, known as Spencerian script, was developed in the mid 19thcentury and was the dominant form of formal handwriting in the United States during that
period.
Robinson also played a significant role in early Coca-Cola advertising. His promotionalsuggestions to Pemberton included giving away thousands of free drink coupons and
plastering the city of Atlanta with publicity banners and streetcar signs.[42]
Contour bottle design
The equally famous Coca-Cola bottle, called the "contour bottle" within the company, but
known to some as the "hobble skirt" bottle, was created in 1915 by bottle designer Earl R.Dean. In 1915, the Coca-Cola Company launched a competition among its bottle suppliers tocreate a new bottle for the beverage that would distinguish it from other beverage bottles, "a
bottle which a person could recognize even if they felt it in the dark, and so shaped that, evenif broken, a person could tell at a glance what it was."[43]
Earl R. Dean's original 1915 concept drawing of the contour Coca-Cola bottle
Chapman J. Root, president of the Root Glass Company, turned the project over to membersof his supervisory staff, including company auditor T. Clyde Edwards, plant superintendentAlexander Samuelsson, and Earl R. Dean, bottle designer and supervisor of the bottlemolding room. Root and his subordinates decided to base the bottle's design on one of thesoda's two ingredients, the coca leaf or the kola nut, but were unaware of what either ingredient looked like. Dean and Edwards went to the Emeline Fairbanks Memorial Library and were unable to find any information about coca or kola. Instead, Dean was inspired by a
picture of the gourd-shaped cocoa pod in the Encyclopedia Britannica. Dean made a roughsketch of the pod and returned back to the plant to show Mr. Root. He explained to Root howhe could transform the shape of the pod into a bottle. Chapman Root gave Dean his approval.[43]
The prototype never made it to production since its middle diameter was larger than its base,making it unstable on conveyor belts.
Faced with the upcoming scheduled maintenance of the mold-making machinery, over thenext 24 hours Dean sketched out a concept drawing which was approved by Root the nextmorning. Dean then proceeded to create a bottle mold and produced a small number of bottles
before the glass-molding machinery was turned off.[44]
Chapman Root approved the prototype bottle and a design patent was issued on the bottle in November, 1915. The prototype never made it to production since its middle diameter was
larger than its base, making it unstable on conveyor belts. Dean resolved this issue bydecreasing the bottle's middle diameter. During the 1916 bottler's convention, Dean's contour
bottle was chosen over other entries and was on the market the same year. By 1920, thecontour bottle became the standard for the Coca-Cola Company. Today, the contour Coca-Cola bottle is one of the most recognized packages on the planet..."even in the dark!". [45]
Dean reduced the middle diameter, creating the famed Contour Coca-Cola bottle.
As a reward for his efforts, Dean was offered a choice between a $500 bonus or a lifetime jobat the Root Glass Company. He chose the lifetime job and kept it until the Owens-IllinoisGlass Company bought out the Root Glass Company in the mid-1930s. Dean went on to work in other Midwestern glass factories.
Although endorsed by some[who?], this version of events is not considered authoritative bymany[who?] who consider it implausible. One alternative depiction has Raymond Loewy as theinventor of the unique design, but, while Loewy did serve as a designer of Coke cans and
bottles in later years, he was in the French Army the year the bottle was invented and did notemigrate to the United States until 1919. Others have attributed inspiration for the design not
to the cocoa pod, but to a Victorian hooped dress.[46]
In 1944, Associate Justice Roger J. Traynor of the Supreme Court of California took advantage of a case involving a waitress injured by an exploding Coca-Cola bottle toarticulate the doctrine of strict liability for defective products. Traynor's concurring opinion in Escola v. Coca-Cola Bottling Co. is widely recognized as a landmark case in U.S. lawtoday.[47]
In 1997, Coca-Cola also introduced a "contour can," similar in shape to its famous bottle, ona few test markets, including Terre Haute, Indiana.[48] The new can has never been widelyreleased.
A new slim and tall can began to appear in Australia as of December 20, 2006, it cost
AU$1.95. The cans have a distinct resemblance to energy drinks that are popular withteenagers. The cans were commissioned by Domino's Pizza and are available exclusively attheir restaurants.
In January 2007, Coca-Cola Canada changed "Coca-Cola Classic" labeling, removing the"Classic" designation, leaving only "Coca-Cola." Coca-Cola stated this is merely a namechange and the product remains the same. The cans still bear the "Classic" logo in the UnitedStates.
Coca-Cola is a registered trademark in most countries. The U.S. trademark was registered inthe United States Patent Office on January 31, 1893. In the UK, Coca-Cola was registeredwith the UK Patent Office on July 11, 1922, under registration number 427817.
In 2007, Coca-Cola introduced an aluminum can designed to look like the original glassCoca-Cola bottles.
In 2007, the company's logo on cans and bottles changed. The cans and bottles retained thered color and familiar typeface, but the design was simplified, leaving only the logo and a
plain white swirl (the "dynamic ribbon").
In 2008, in some parts of the world, the plastic bottles for all Coke varieties (including the
larger 1.25- and 2-liter bottles) was changed to include a new plastic screw cap and acontoured bottle shape designed to evoke the old glass bottles.
Special aluminum bottle designs, designed exclusively for the Vancouver 2010 OlympicWinter Games Torch Relay. Available in Canada.
Local competitors
Pepsi is usually second to Coke in sales, but outsells Coca-Cola in some markets. Around the
world, some local brands compete with Coke. In South and Central America Kola Real, known as Big Cola in Mexico, is a fast-growing competitor to Coca-Cola.[49] On the French
island of Corsica, Corsica Cola, made by brewers of the local Pietra beer, is a growingcompetitor to Coca-Cola. In the French region of Bretagne, Breizh Cola is available. In Peru,Inca Kola outsells Coca-Cola, which lead The Coca-Cola Company to purchase the brand in1999. In Sweden, Julmust outsells Coca-Cola during the Christmas season.[50] In Scotland, thelocally-produced Irn-Bru was more popular than Coca-Cola until 2005, when Coca-Cola and
Diet Coke began to outpace its sales.[51]
In India, Coca-Cola ranked third behind the leader,Pepsi-Cola, and local drink Thums Up. The Coca-Cola Company purchased Thums Up in1993.[52] As of 2004, Coca-Cola held a 60.9% market-share in India.[53] Tropicola, a domesticdrink, is served in Cuba instead of Coca-Cola, due to a United States embargo. French brandMecca Cola and British brand Qibla Cola, popular in the Middle East, are competitors toCoca-Cola. In Turkey, Cola Turka is a major competitor to Coca-Cola. In Iran and manycountries of Middle East, Zam Zam Cola and Parsi Cola are major competitors to Coca-Cola.In some parts of China Future cola is a competitor. In Slovenia, the locally-produced Cockta is a major competitor to Coca-Cola, as is the inexpensive Mercator Cola, which is sold onlyin the country's biggest supermarket chain, Mercator . In Israel, RC Cola is an inexpensivecompetitor. Classiko Cola, made by Tiko Group, the largest manufacturing company in
Madagascar , is a serious competitor to Coca-Cola in many regions. Laranjada is the top-selling soft drink on the Portuguese island of Madeira. Coca-Cola has stated that Pepsi wasnot its main rival in the UK , but rather Robinsons drinks.[citation needed ]
Advertising
An 1890s advertisement showing model Hilda Clark in formal 19th century attire. The ad istitled Drink Coca-Cola 5¢.
Coca-Cola ghost sign in Fort Dodge, Iowa. Note older Coca-Cola ghosts behind Borax andtelephone ads.
Coca-Cola hoarding in Lahore, Pakistan
Coca-Cola's advertising has significantly affected American culture, and it is frequentlycredited with inventing the modern image of Santa Claus as an old man in a red-and-whitesuit. Although the company did start using the red-and-white Santa image in the 1930s, withits winter advertising campaigns illustrated by Haddon Sundblom, the motif was alreadycommon.[54] Coca-Cola was not even the first soft drink company to use the modern image of Santa Claus in its advertising: White Rock Beverages used Santa in advertisements for itsginger ale in 1923, after first using him to sell mineral water in 1915.[55][56]
Before Santa Claus, Coca-Cola relied on images of smartly-dressed young women to sell its beverages. Coca-Cola's first such advertisement appeared in 1895, featuring the youngBostonian actress Hilda Clark as its spokeswoman.
1941 saw the first use of the nickname "Coke" as an official trademark for the product, with aseries of advertisements informing consumers that "Coke means Coca-Cola".[57]
In 1971, a song from a Coca-Cola commercial called "I'd Like to Teach the World to Sing," produced by Billy Davis, became a hit single.
Coke's advertising is pervasive, as one of Woodruff's stated goals was to ensure that everyoneon Earth drank Coca-Cola as their preferred beverage. This is especially true in southernareas of the United States, such as Atlanta, where Coke was born.
Coca-Cola sales booth on the Cape Verde island of Fogo in 2004.
Some of the memorable Coca-Cola television commercials between 1960 through 1986 werewritten and produced by former Atlanta radio veteran Don Naylor (WGST 1936–1950,
WAGA 1951–1959) during his career as a producer for the McCann Erickson advertisingagency. Many of these early television commercials for Coca-Cola featured movie stars, sports heroes and popular singers.
During the 1980s, Pepsi-Cola ran a series of television advertisements showing people participating in taste tests demonstrating that, according to the commercials, "fifty percent of the participants who said they preferred Coke actually chose the Pepsi." Statisticians werequick to point out the problematic nature of a 50/50 result: most likely, all the taste testsreally showed was that in blind tests, most people simply cannot tell the difference betweenPepsi and Coke. Coca-Cola ran ads to combat Pepsi's ads in an incident sometimes referred toas the cola wars; one of Coke's ads compared the so-called Pepsi challenge to twochimpanzees deciding which tennis ball was furrier. Thereafter, Coca-Cola regained its
leadership in the market.Selena was a spokesperson for Coca-Cola from 1989 till the time of her death. She filmedthree commercials for the company. In 1994, to commemorate her five years with thecompany, Coca-Cola issued special Selena coke bottles.[58]
The Coca-Cola Company purchased Columbia Pictures in 1982, and began inserting Coke- product images in many of its films. After a few early successes during Coca-Cola'sownership, Columbia began to under-perform, and the studio was sold to Sony in 1989.
Coca-Cola has gone through a number of different advertising slogans in its long history,including "The pause that refreshes," "I'd like to buy the world a Coke," and "Coke is it" (seeCoca-Cola slogans).
In 2006, Coca-Cola introduced My Coke Rewards, a customer loyalty campaign whereconsumers earn points by entering codes from specially-marked packages of Coca-Cola
products into a website. These points can be redeemed for various prizes or sweepstakesentries.[59]
The "Holidays are coming!" advertisement features a train of red delivery trucks, emblazonedwith the Coca-Cola name and decorated with electric lights, driving through a snowylandscape and causing everything that they pass to light up and people to watch as they passthrough.[60]
The advertisement fell into disuse in 2001, as the Coca-Cola company restructured itsadvertising campaigns so that advertising around the world was produced locally in eachcountry, rather than centrally in the company's headquarters in Atlanta, Georgia. [61] However,in 2007, the company brought back the campaign after, according to the company, manyconsumers telephoned its information center saying that they considered it to mark the
beginning of Christmas.[60] The advertisement was created by U.S. advertising agency Doner,
and has been part of the company's global advertising campaign for many years.[62]
Keith Law, a producer and writer of commercials for Belfast CityBeat, was not convinced byCoca-Cola's reintroduction of the advertisement in 2007, saying that "I don't think there'sanything Christmassy about HGVs and the commercial is too generic."[63]
In 2001, singer Melanie Thornton recorded the campaign's advertising jingle as a single,Wonderful Dream (Holidays are Coming), which entered the pop-music charts in Germany atno. 9.[64][65] In 2005, Coca-Cola expanded the advertising campaign to radio, employingseveral variations of the jingle.[66]
Sports sponsorship
Coca-Cola was the first commercial sponsor of the Olympic games, at the 1928 games in
Amsterdam, and has been an Olympics sponsor ever since.[67] This corporate sponsorshipincluded the 1996 Summer Olympics hosted in Atlanta, which allowed Coca-Cola tospotlight its hometown. Since 1978, Coca-Cola has sponsored each FIFA World Cup, andother competitions organised by FIFA. In fact, one FIFA tournament trophy, the FIFA WorldYouth Championship from Tunisia in 1977 to Malaysia in 1997, was called "FIFA — CocaCola Cup".[68] In addition, Coca-Cola sponsors the annual Coca-Cola 600 and Coke Zero 400 for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series at Lowe's Motor Speedway in Charlotte, North Carolina and Daytona International Speedway in Daytona, Florida. Coca-Cola has a long history of sports marketing relationships, which over the years have included Major League Baseball, the National Football League, National Basketball Association and the National HockeyLeague, as well as with many teams within those leagues. Coca-Cola is the official soft drink
of many collegiate football teams throughout the nation.
Coca-Cola was one of the official sponsors of the 1996 Cricket World Cup held on the Indiansubcontinent. Coca Cola is also one of the associate sponsor of Delhi Daredevils in IndianPremier League.
In England, Coca-Cola is the main sponsor of The Football League, a name given to the three professional divisions below the Premier League in football (soccer). It is also responsible for
the renaming of these divisions — until the advent of Coca-Cola sponsorship, they werereferred to as Divisions One, Two and Three. Since 2004, the divisions have been known asThe Championship (equiv. of Division 1), League One (equiv. of Div. 2) and League 2(equiv. of Division 3). This renaming has caused unrest amongst some fans, who see it asfarcical that the third tier of English Football is now called "League One." In 2005, Coca-Cola launched a competition for the 72 clubs of the football league — it was called "Win aPlayer". This allowed fans to place 1 vote per day for their beloved club, with 1 entry beingchosen at random earning £250,000 for the club; this was repeated in 2006. The "Win APlayer" competition was very controversial, as at the end of the 2 competitions, Leeds UnitedAFC had the most votes by more than double, yet they did not win any money to spend on anew player for the club. In 2007, the competition changed to "Buy a Player". This
competition allowed fans to buy a bottle of Coca-Cola Zero or Coca-Cola and submit thecode on the wrapper on the Coca-Cola website {www.coca-colafootball.co.uk}. This codecould then earn anything from 50p to £100,000 for a club of their choice. This competitionwas favored over the old "Win A Player" competition, as it allowed all clubs to win somemoney.
In mass media
Coca-Cola has been prominently featured in countless films and television programs. It was amajor plot element in films such as One, Two, Three, The Coca-Cola Kid , and The GodsMust Be Crazy. It provides a setting for comical corporate shenanigans in the novel Syrup byMaxx Barry. And in music, in the Beatles' song, "Come Together ", the lyrics said, "Coca-
Cola, he say...".Health effects
Since studies indicate "soda and sweetened drinks are the main source of calories in [the]American diet,"[69] most nutritionists advise that Coca-Cola and other soft drinks can beharmful if consumed excessively, particularly to young children whose soft drink consumption competes with, rather than complements, a balanced diet. Studies have shownthat regular soft drink users have a lower intake of calcium, magnesium, ascorbic acid,riboflavin, and vitamin A.[70] The drink has also aroused criticism for its use of caffeine, which can cause physical dependence.[71] A link has been shown between long-term regular cola intake, of which Coca-Cola is the most consumed brand worldwide, and osteoporosis inolder women (but not men).[72] This was thought to be due to the presence of phosphoric acid,
and the risk was found to be same for caffeinated and noncaffeinated colas, as well as thesame for diet and sugared colas.
The use of Coca-Cola has also been associated with an increase of tumors as found by theRamazzini Foundation[73] in 2006.
A common criticism of Coke based on its allegedly toxic acidity levels has been found to be baseless by researchers; lawsuits based on these notions have been dismissed by severalAmerican courts for this reason. Although numerous court cases have been filed against TheCoca-Cola Company since the 1920s, alleging that the acidity of the drink is dangerous, noevidence corroborating this claim has been found. Under normal conditions, scientificevidence indicates Coca-Cola's acidity causes no immediate harm.[74]
Since 1985 in the U.S., Coke has been made with high fructose corn syrup instead of themore expensive cane-sugar glucose or fructose. Some nutritionists also caution against
consumption of high fructose corn syrup because it may aggravate obesity and type-2diabetes more than cane sugar .[75] Also, a 2009 study found that almost half of tested samplesof commercial high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS) contained mercury, a toxic substance.[76]
In India, there is a major controversy whether there are pesticides and other harmfulchemicals in bottled products, including Coca-Cola. In 2003 the Centre for Science and
Environment (CSE), a non-governmental organization in New Delhi, said aerated waters produced by soft drinks manufacturers in India, including multinational giants PepsiCo andCoca-Cola, contained toxins including lindane, DDT, malathion and chlorpyrifos —
pesticides that can contribute to cancer and a breakdown of the immune system. CSE foundthat the Indian produced Pepsi's soft drink products had 36 times the level of pesticideresidues permitted under European Union regulations; Coca-Cola's soft drink was found tohave 30 times the permitted amount. CSE said it had tested the same products sold in the U.S.and found no such residues.[77] After the pesticide allegations were made in 2003, Coca-Colasales in India declined by 15 percent. In 2004 an Indian parliamentary committee backed upCSE's findings and a government-appointed committee was tasked with developing theworld's first pesticide standards for soft drinks. The Coca-Cola Company has responded that
its plants filter water to remove potential contaminants and that its products are tested for pesticides and must meet minimum health standards before they are distributed. [78] In theIndian state of Kerala sale and production of Coca-Cola, along with other soft drinks, wasinitially banned after the allegations, until the High Court in Kerala overturned ruled that onlythe federal government can ban food products. Coca-Cola has also been accused of excessivewater usage in India.[79]
The 2008 Ig Nobel Prize (a parody of the Nobel Prizes) in Chemistry was awarded to ShereeUmpierre, Joseph Hill, and Deborah Anderson, for discovering that Coca-Cola is an effectivespermicide,[80] and to C.Y. Hong, C.C. Shieh, P. Wu, and B.N. Chiang for proving it is not.[81]
[82]
CriticismMain article: Criticism of Coca-Cola
Coca-Cola has been criticised for alleged adverse health effects and its aggressive marketingto children.
Use as a political and corporate symbol
Coke dispenser flown aboard the Space Shuttle in 1996
Coca-Cola advertising in the High Atlas mountains (Morocco).
The Coca-Cola drink has a high degree of identification with the United States, beingconsidered by some an "American Brand" or as an item representing America. Theidentification with the spread of American culture has led to the pun "Coca-Colanization".[83]
The drink is also often a metonym for the Coca-Cola Company.
There are some consumer boycotts of Coca-Cola in Arab countries due to Coke's earlyinvestment in Israel during the Arab League boycott of Israel (its competitor Pepsi stayed out
of Israel).[84] Mecca Cola and Pepsi have been successful alternatives in the Middle East.
A Coca-Cola fountain dispenser (officially a Fluids Generic Bioprocessing Apparatus-2 or FGBA-2) was developed for use on the Space Shuttle as a "a test bed to determine if carbonated beverages can be produced from separately stored carbon dioxide, water andflavored syrups and determine if the resulting fluids can be made available for consumptionwithout bubble nucleation and resulting foam formation." The unit flew in 1996 aboard STS-77 and held 1.65 liters each of Coca-Cola and Diet Coke.[85]
