This ad made by Coca-Cola is selling a low-sugar and low-calorie version of their drink. The photo ad was printed across billboards, flashed upon tv screens as while as being shown on social media platforms such as TikTok, Instagram and Facebook.
The advertisement shows a green labeled coca cola bottle surrounded by grass with the words “New Coca Cola Life” along the bottom are also the words “Sweetness from natural sources, lower calorie”. The ad has an outdoorsy vibe to it and promotes a healthy environment and lifestyle. The extremely specific setting (Outdoors) and wording (Words such as “Life” and “Natural”) invoke a sense of environmental friendliness. As a while as the green labeling on the words and the bottle promote the idea of being environmentally friendly due to green being a large part of the environmental movement.
Green symbolizes a sign that something is good to everyone whether we consciously know it or not. According to Oceana.org “Coca Cola creates over 3.43 million metric tons of plastic every single year”. The symbolizing of being a green company is simply just false and a marketing tactic used by many companies not just in Canada but around the world. The use of any type of product, being a drink in this case, shows the viewer that not only does the company and product draw on the environment but also shows that the company is strongly supporting nature, animals and plants. It’s a tactic called Greenwashing, which has taken off in the last 20 years as the world becomes more aware of the devastating effects of pollutants on the environment.
The ad does not mention the countless plastic bottles thrown into the ocean, landfills and into the habitats of animals around the world. The process that Coca-Cola claims reduce the amount of waste is the Recyling plans. Currently Coca Cola claims it recycles 25% of its bottles while intendant studies claim the number is less. According to Plastic Soup Foundation “Coca cola recycles less than 10%”. PLS also cites Coca Cola as “The biggest polluter on earth for 4 years in a row” which is undeniable proof that Coca Cola is indeed greenwashing with its products, ads and campaigns.
Bosch, Fleur. “Coca-Cola Broken Promises on Plastic Bottles.” Plastic Soup Foundation, February 23, 2022. https://www.plasticsoupfoundation.org/en/2022/02/is-coca-colas-latest-promise-really-a-step-forward/.
“Oceana Calls on Coca-Cola’s Largest Bottler to Commit to Reuse and Plastic Reduction.” Oceana, May 21, 2024. https://oceana.org/press-releases/oceana-calls-on-coca-colas-largest-bottler-to-commit-to-reuse-and-plastic-reduction/.
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