Coke’s new advertisement attempts to transform guilt into reward – by making people feel like they “earned” their Coke through a 23 minute bike ride, the can of Coke becomes a deserved reward rather than a guilty pleasure. This brilliant move also brings the calorie conversation out in the open, tackling issues of obesity and sedentary lifestyles head-on. Rather than shying away from the brand’s impact on consumer health, this ad manages to communicate these issues in a fairly honest way, stressing the importance of moderation and physical exercise. On the flip side, the noticeable absence of any overweight or obese participants in the ad does bring some ethical issues to mind.
This article has also been published in Arabian Gazette
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