Coke Busted for Promoting Myths

The Australian government's consumer watchdog, the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC), has forced Coca-Cola to take out advertisements in national newspapers to correct its misleading advertisements. In October 2008, Coca-Cola ran full-page ads featuring a prominent Australian actress, Kerry Armstrong. In the ad she stated that "When I was asked to speak out in favour of one of the world's largest brands, Coca-Cola, it became clear that it was surrounded by all kinds of myths and conjecture." Three of the featured "myths" were that it was "packed with caffeine," "rots your teeth" and "makes you fat." The ACCC found that "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. They also had the potential to mislead parents about the potential consequences of consuming Coca Cola." Sydney Morning Herald marketing reporter Julian Lee noted that Coca-Cola's ad agency, Singleton Ogilvy & Mather, refused to comment.