The brand always unleashes something special for the summer months, but 2021’s Coca-Cola campaign is turning into an ultimate fail. Years ago, Coke’s “Share a Coke” promotion was all the rage, and after people found it too difficult to locate their names in stores, the company allowed the public to write any name they pleased.
This year, it seems that Coca-Cola opened things up to phrases but things went sideways when people noticed that certain words weren’t allowed by the company while racist, bigoted, or other controversial terms were.
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It’s reported by CNN that people can write words like “White Lives Matter,” but “Black Lives Matter” isn’t allowed. You also can’t write words like “Hitler” or “Nazi” individually, but you can order “I am a Nazi” or “I am Hitler” on Coke bottles if you want. Coca-Cola included a bottle with a rainbow for Pride Month, but the public isn’t allowed to write “Gay Pride.”
When something isn’t allowed, a message comes up telling them to contact Customer Care if they think it’s a mistake, and the company has been flooded with messages.
“We’re continuously refining and improving our Share A Coke personalization tool to ensure it is used only for its intended purpose,” a Coca-Cola spokesperson told CNN Business. “Words or phrases that have appeared in the preview mode of the tool may not necessarily be approved, but rather are words we have not previously assessed. Actual bottles are not made with words that are inconsistent with the program’s intent. We have clarified in the tool’s preview mode that proposed language may require further review.”
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