Tag: Coca-Cola

‘Tis the Season… to Battle Coke’s Mexican Christmas Spirit

~ Mi Blog es tu Blog ~ 2 Comments
A Diabetes tree has risen in the middle of Mexico City
A Diabetes tree has risen in the middle of Mexico City

Here we go again.

Barely one year after Coca-Cola unleashed the fury of this blogger — and many, many more people — with a ridiculous holiday commercial set in Oaxaca, the beverage giant is on the hot seat again.

The reason? Mexico City officials have allowed the company to put up a gigantic Coca-Cola-themed Christmas tree right in the middle of the city’s main square.

The offending, plasticky huge thing is now being labelled by activists as the Diabetes Tree, which is just a perfect way to “celebrate” the deathly toll the disease has taken on my people.

So, as the suits over at Coca-Cola would say: Feliz Navidad, suckers!

Via: Aristegui Noticias

Indigenous Community in Oaxaca Responds to Coca-Cola: ‘We Didn’t Use to Have Diabetes’

~ Mi Blog es tu Blog ~ Leave a comment

diabetesThis happened.

On the heels of Coca-Cola pulling its controversial ad featuring a group of white Mexican kids bringing hope — and sugary drinks — to an indigenous community in Oaxaca, a group of mixe indians from the town of Totontepec came on to share their own message.

Using the same footage of the now infamous Coca-Cola spot, the mixes take the stage to share stories about their community’s lack of water and an alarming increase in diabetes levels, brought about by — what else? — sugary drinks like Coca-Cola. Among other things, their message (in mixe language featuring Spanish subtitles) includes the following statement by one local student:

“Fifty years ago, cases of diabetes type 2 in our indian communities were rare; now they begin to be an epidemic. In order to remain united, we must preserve our dignity, our health and our culture. In Oaxaca, we drink tejare, tea and clean water.”

News of the spot was first reported by SinEmbargo.com.mx in Mexico. Here’s the video, in mixe language with subtitles in Spanish. Stay tuned as I will be translating the whole message very soon. I just need to get this out for the sake of giving the mixes the space they deserve.

Mainstream Media ‘Discovers’ Coke’s Embarrassing Mexico Ad; Coke Takes Video Down, Refuses to Make Comments

~ Mi Blog es tu Blog ~ 3 Comments
White, wealthy Mexican hipsters bring Coke -- and hope -- to Mixe community in Oaxaca.
White, wealthy Mexican hipsters bring Coke — and hope — to Mixe community in Oaxaca.

Remember this blog’s posting from Nov. 26, 2015?

Not many people paid attention then, I know. It kind of went unnoticed for a while, as I suspect a lot of you, people, were busy eating turkey or crushing fellow shoppers to get a discounted OLED TV or whatever it is you do on Thanksgiving Weekend.

Fortunately, a few independent blogs, including my compadres at Latino Rebels and other high-profile writers did pay attention and the brouhaha finally blew up con Coca-Cola’s face right around Tuesday Dec. 1, 2015. This was the day when the soft drinks giant decided to pull its ad from YouTube — or more accurately decided to “make it private,” so that neither you or me would have to see that horror again.

Here are only a few of the articles posted by mainstream media on the issue –in chronological order:

Telesur: Nov. 26

The Washington Post, Dec. 1

The Associated Press, Dec. 1

Horizontal: Dec. 1

The Guardian, Dec. 1

Univision Noticias, Dec. 2

See? I knew I was not crazy (or at least I’m not THAT crazy.) This sh•t was so out of whack that it needed to be stopped — or at least made it private, so Coca-Cola and its Mexican agency, can go on and pursue their creative advertising prizes or whatever it is they do.

Just, please, leave the Mixe community alone, will you?

I wish you didn’t have to see this again, but in case you missed it, this blogger’s friends at Latino Rebels have you covered

Mexico Is so Independent, Even Its Coke Bottles Feature Native-Looking Women and Colorful Stuff

~ Mi Blog es tu Blog ~ 5 Comments

Oh dear. I wish I could say this is just a bad Internet joke but, well, it isn’t.

Starting this weekend, you will start to see a lot of marketing crap stuff around Mexico’s Independence Bicentennial, including the Coca-Cola Special Bicentennial Edition, consisting of 31 collectible bottles representing each one of Mexico’s 31 states. Because, how else to celebrate our country’s independence than with a good, refreshing ol’ coca?

Como dijo Don Porfirio: Poor Mexico… So far from God, and so close to the United States!

Coca-Cola Lays Out Hispanic Marketing Plan for 2020: Soccer is for Men. Novelas are for Women

~ Mi Blog es tu Blog ~ 4 Comments

If you thought the soft drink giant a.k.a. The Coca-Cola Company couldn’t care less about the growing multicultural crowd, think again. The company this week laid out its vision for the future, which means a “strong focus” on multicultural marketing as soon as … 2020.

But that is not all. As Katie Bayne, CMO of Coca-Cola North America, was quoted saying:

“Our multicultural plans are now 12-month plans. It is no longer Hispanic heritage month followed by Cinco de Mayo […] We have a deep connection through the World Cup with Hispanic males and through the novelas with Hispanic females.”

No matter Cinco de Mayo (which happens in May) is actually followed by Hispanic Heritage Month (Sept.-October)… Coca-Cola will be using soccer to attract Hispanic men, and novelas to attract Hispanic females.

Yupi! I cannot wait for 2020…

Source: Advertising Age

Test Your Hispanic Marketing Skills: Which Brand of Soft Drink Sponsors Univision’s New Reality Show?

~ Mi Blog es tu Blog ~ 5 Comments

Unless you’ve been living under a rock (or simply don’t care about U.S. Hispanics attempting to do their own version of American Idol) you should know that Univision last night premiered Viva el Sueño, a new talent competition that “seeks to unveil the next big Latin music star.”

So… look carefully at the picture below, and –trying not to cheat– answer the following poll. (If you’ve been reading my blog long enough, you’ll have no trouble finding the answer.)

Ready? Set… Go!

Picture 1