Diet Coke Campaign Fizzles After Consumers Mock 'You're On Coke' SnafuDiet Coke's new ad was looking to target a young, professional demographic, but after bloggers teased the beverage giant about a possible drug reference, the campaign, well, went flat.
ByGeoff Weiss•
Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.
Flame retardantisn't the only questionable substance Coca Cola is looking to distance itself from in recent days.
While consumers have long queried whether or not the beloved beverage happens to contain cocaine, Coke has nowscrappedan ad campaign perceived by social media and the blogosphere to allude to the drug.
Themed "You're On," the ads presented the beverage as an energy driver for consumers in make-or-break situations. One print ad read: "You moved to New York with the clothes on your back, the cash in your pocket and your eyes on the prize. You're on. Diet Coke."
Unfortunately for the beverage giant, the placement (and font size) of the word diet had many consumers reading "You're On. Coke."
Related:Want Your Ad to Go Viral? Get a TV Network to Ban It.
When all this hoopla began a few months back, Coca ColatoldAdWeekthat the advertising campaign "celebrates ambitious young achievers from all walks of life and reminds them that Diet Coke is there to support them in the moments when they are at their best." The company added that there was absolutely no connection with any illegal drugs.
ButAdWeek, which suggests that the drug referencewasintentional, also noted the name of the New York agency that developed the ads, Droga5, seemingly adds fuel to the fire -- as "drogas" translates to drugs in Spanish.
由于所有的回响,可口可乐将取代the ads beginning today with the same campaign -- entitled "Just for the taste of it" -- that it used to introduce Diet Coke back in 1983. A new print ad reads, "There's nothing like the refreshing taste of Diet Coke. Except maybe finding a twenty in your pocket. That's pretty great."
Related:The 'Got Milk' Slogan Is No More