'Oi Desh': Coca Cola wades into controversy, comes out muddier

Imagine taking a stance, but no one really knows what that stance is.

Perhaps, it's not even a stance. Then is it a plea?

That's basically what Coca Cola's latest ad campaign is like.

In view of boycott campaigns centring Israel's invasion of Palestine – where Coca Cola also came under fire – the soft drink brand took the approach of distancing themselves from Israel and showing they actually also recognise Palestine.

Except it was just a very half-hearted approach, which left viewers with a bitter taste, something the drink isn't known for.

The main issue stemmed from the use of "Oi Jaiga", in reference to Israel.

This tacit approach came off as tasteless, reducing a genocidal intent to just some country that could not be named.

Is Israel Coca Cola's Lord Voldemort?

That wasn't clear either.

The ad then goes on to address that Coca Cola actually functions in Palestine as well.

It does.

The opening of a Coca-Cola bottling plant in Palestine's Gaza Strip was considered almost inconceivable until Palestinian Christian Zahi Khouri. 

He came back from America and went to work in setting up the factory.

Khouri, who also operated plants in the occupied West Bank, has always been a staunch critic of Israeli aggression. So staunch in fact that in 2015 an Israeli advocacy group threatened legal action against Coca-Cola if it did not sever ties with its Palestinian subsidiary NBC, whose owner Khouri expressed support of the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement against Israel.

Khouri's credentials are also played up in Coca Cola's website.

In the overview page of the National Beverage Company (NBC), the subsidiary that functions in Palestine, the Coca Cola company also mentions: "NBC employs 1,000 associates across its facilities, including Gaza as well. The Coca‑Cola system indirectly supports 10,000 Palestinians through retail channels and across its value chain. "

The website also mentions numerous other areas in Palestine where the NBC plays a role, such as construction of a water desalination unit, equipping schools with computer labs, organising iftar meals, etc.

Back to the ad itself, it isn't a stand alone.

The Coca Cola company has been issuing statements in regards to its relationship with Israel.

In a statement issued yesterday, Coca-Cola Malaysia said calls for a boycott were based on "false information" and rumours, and a "lack of understanding" of the company's Middle East operations.

"Coca-Cola and our local bottler NBC, have a long-standing commitment to the Palestinian market, having begun production in 1998 and we are today one of the largest employers in the territories," it said.

As of 2016, Coca-Cola, through NBC, was the third-largest employer in Palestine.

There's also an entire page on their website titled "Does Coca-Cola send any of its profits to the Israeli army?"

While Coca Cola's messaging has been about its support for Palestine, not for its statehood or anything, but its people, the ad in Bangladesh comes off as more gaslighting than anything.

In one instance of the new ad, attempts are made to clarify Coca Cola's absolute innocence.

But, it glosses over the fact that the cola company was blacklisted by the Arab League for 20 years, starting in 1966. The ban stemmed from  Israeli bottling franchise being granted to Manhattan Banker Abraham Feinberg, who was also president of the Israel Development Corp, which promoted Bonds for Israel.

Coca Cola's factories in occupied territories are also considered contentious.

The United Nations in 2020 also blacklisted the company for operating in illegal Israeli settlements.

Given these facts, to just say "Oi Desh" and act like there's no relation is quite misleading.

Of course, it's also pretty hard to make years of political messaging into a one-minute advertisement, for sure, but perhaps such a careless approach was also not needed.

It's better not to do something instead of doing it without much conviction. At the end, we are left wondering what the ad was about: go viral, but to what end?

Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions and views of The Business Standard