Coca-Cola is no stranger to controversy and the company’s latest advertisement for Sprite is no exception. The ad ran in Ireland and was on the receiving end of heavy backlash. According to Fortune, the ad featured billboards and Sprite bottles that had misogynistic and sexist messages such as, “A 2 at 10 is a 10 at 2” and “You’re not popular… you’re easy.” Understandably, people took to social media to express their outrage about the lines. However, while I am disgusted by the messages and the fact that the company approved them, I am not even slightly surprised.
My first thought when I read the original article about the controversy was that whoever thought it would be a good idea to sell those slogans must have just watched an episode of “How I Met Your Mother.” My second thought was that the issue of these slogans is much deeper than most people are willing to acknowledge. Our culture throws around these types of carelessly ignorant expressions as often as we greet each other or talk about the weather. They are commonplace and if people are truly as outraged as they present themselves to be, then we must try to do more than simply complain online.Naturally, Coca-Cola Ireland was contrite when they addressed the controversy in a statement to Fortune. According to Fortune, the company said, “We apologize for any offense caused by the #BrutallyRefreshing Sprite campaign in Ireland, and we have removed the advert in question.” They then added, “We strive to deliver the highest standards of advertising, and we recognize that on this occasion the content did not meet our, or our consumers’, expectations. The campaign has now ended, and the advert will not appear again.” Although the response was timely and necessary, I’d much rather see companies work to try and change the inherently misogynistic attitudes in our society. The notion that women can be categorized into a number or that someone is only popular because they are expected to “put out” is dehumanizing. More so, it is a terrible message for young children to absorb and is one that may lead young people to feel that they are either worthless or that it is acceptable to determine another person’s value.
In the last year, Coca-Cola came under fire for an ad campaign in Mexico that was labeled racist, according to Fortune. We have also seen Bloomingdales create an ad campaign that validated rape culture. The recurring problem seen within these companies is not going to be solved simply by retracting the campaigns once people react negatively toward them and bad press is generated. The only way that these campaigns will end is if people are willing to step back, educate themselves and think before they promote a tasteless, offensive and harmful message. Furthermore, the first step in achieving actual progress will be by considering our words when we are “joking around” with our friends about someone we met at a party or in any other social situation. I hope that the next time Coca-Cola, or any other name brand, is about to say something that could be considered questionable, they reconsider based on their wide demographic. We learn at a young age that our words matter, but we underestimate just how significant words can be until they are emblazoned on highways for young and impressionable children to see.