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The Coca-Cola Company's South Pacific division has
been ordered to print a retraction of a full-page print ad claiming
that Coca-Cola did not rot teeth or "[make] you fat." |
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"Coke's messages were
totally unacceptable, creating an impression which is likely to mislead
that Coca-Cola cannot contribute to weight gain, obesity and tooth
decay," said Graeme Samuel, chair of the Australian Competition and
Consumer Commission (ACCC). "They also had the potential to mislead
parents about the potential consequences of consuming Coca-Cola."
In 2008, Coca-Cola South Pacific ran a full-page ad in a number of
newspapers claiming to debunk a number of "myths" about Coke products.
Kelly Armstrong, a popular Australian actress, was portrayed as the
narrator in the ad, titled "Motherhood & Myth-Busting."
"Now that I've found out what's myth and what isn't, it's good to know
that our family can continue to enjoy one of our favorite drinks,"
Armstrong said in the ad. "My boys now call me Mum, the Myth Buster!"
Claiming that Coke was perfectly "kiddie safe," the ad said it was time
"to state the facts and to help you understand the truth behind
Coca-Cola."
The ad identified the following popular perceptions of Coke as "myths":
"It's full of added preservatives and artificial colors"; "Makes you
fat"; "It was originally green"; "'Coca-Cola contained cocaine once upon
a time"; "Packed with caffeine"; "Rots your teeth."
Following a joint complaint by the Australian Dental Association, the
Obesity Policy Coalition and the Parents Jury, the ACCC launched an
investigation into the ad, eventually concluding that it constituted
false and misleading advertising. As a result, Coke has been ordered to
run a corrective ad in major newspapers of every major Australian city.
Among other corrections, the company must include accurate numbers for
the amount of caffeine included in Coca-Cola, Diet Coke and Coke Zero.
In the initial ad, Coke falsely claimed that those soft drinks contained
only one-third the caffeine of a cup of tea.
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