Video: New Coke Commercial Reminds Us How We Get Fat

Refreshing phenylalanine! (screenshot)

Today Coca-Cola joined the esteemed class of corporations who warn their consumers that their products may be hazardous with a new two minute advertisement entitled "Coming Together." The ad gives us the unvarnished truth: "If you eat and drink more calories than you burn off, you'll gain weight." The video also explains what happens when "a mommy and daddy love each other very much," where old doggies go when they go away for a long time, and how digging that hole to China may take longer than you think.

"There's an important conversation going on about obesity out there, and we want to be a part of the conversation," Stuart Kronauge, the general manager of sparkling beverages told the AP, presumably referring to that guy who comes up to you at parties and says, "Does anyone want a Coke?"

Mike Jacobson, the executive director for the Center for Science in the Public Interest, was less optimistic: "It looks like a page out of damage control 101. They're trying to disarm the public."

For instance, the narrator in the ad says, "all calories count, no matter where they come from, including Coca-Cola and everything else with calories." What the ad fails to mention is that liquid calories have a stronger impact on the body than solid calories because the body doesn't recognize them and reduce caloric intake later. Liquid calories are the largest source of calories in our diet.

The ad also unintentionally shows how powerful the company really is when it comes to impacting the health of the country: they make 650 different types of beverages! 180 of them are "low and no calorie choices" while the rest are presumably refreshing and delicious.

Coca-Cola's new commercial debuts during tonight's cable news broadcast, and will also run during American Idol (a show that depicts its stars drinking Coca-Cola products), airing during the portions of the show when people get up off their couches to get something to drink, say, a Coca-Cola.

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By Christopher Robbins in Food on January 14, 2013 3:50 PM

Comments [rss]

NYC911

The kosher for passover coke products (yellow caps) are made with sugar instead of syrup.

http://www.jta.org/news/articl...

http://consumerist.com/2012/03...

estragon_nyc

"There's an important conversation going on about obesity out there, and we want to be a part of the conversation" -- oh fuck you. Everything's got to be a "conversation" these days. I'm so sick of that word. It's the pinnacle of empty corporate buzzspeak that only means "we refuse to openly state any position because someone else might find out what we actually think." And don't even think of saying "dialogue" or I will bust your ass.

SpideySense

diabolique

cetriche

Unless it's coffee, beer, wine or chocolate milk, it doesn't appeal to me. Advertise away, coke

bkd1976

Calories are not the issue. Sugar intake is. Just because they're offering low calorie options or smaller portions doesn't mean that having 6 or 7 cans or bottles of something "healthier" means you're doing less damage to your body. If you take in 100 grams of sugar in one sitting you are going to feel effects from it whether it's weight gain, diabetes, or eventual sugar crash.

Relaxasaurus

Agreed. Pure cane sugar or HFCS, if you have too much of either you WILL get fat and unhealthy.

Drink water, naturally flavored club soda, or even something like Honest Tea instead of 35g+ sugary drinks.

SpideySense

I haven't been able to find Tab for the longest time now.

JenChungsBaby

The headline scared me. For a second I thought New Coke was back.

nicemarmot

Liquid calories are the largest source of calories in our diet.

What??? How much frigging soda do you people drink?

Ian MacAllen

Beer.

HughGass

drinking a 20oz bottle of soda is bad for you, doesn't matter whether it's HFCS or real sugar.

Ian MacAllen

If they are so concerned with obesity, they should offer their soft drinks with cane sugar rather than high-fructose corn syrup. This is the difference between Pepsi and Coca-Cola -- Pepsi offers premium versions with cane sugar to meet consumer demand while Coca-Cola has made attempts to stop mixed in Mexico, cane sugar Coca-Cola from entering the United States.

cetriche

OMG, you're totally plugging Pepsi. GTFO

Ian MacAllen

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/T...

TLDR Wikipedia:

"The drinks, called Pepsi Throwback and Mountain Dew Throwback, are named as such because they are flavored with beet sugar instead of high fructose corn syrup,"

"In a rare move of no competition within the Cola Wars, Coca-Cola formed no plans, as of early December of 2012, to release a sugar-sweetened version of Coca-Cola on a regular basis."

And when it comes to corporate culture, PepsiCo is way ahead of the curve in terms of developing new products and responding to consumers:
http://www.newyorker.com/repor...

Trustafarian

i've read some conflicting studies about if pure cane sugar is actually more healthy.

Ian MacAllen

Vodka and bread are both carbohydrates but only one of those will get you drunk.

BassOmatic

Vodka has no carbohydrate content but consumption of it can cause weight gain but that's true of any distilled spirit. Personally, I'd rather gain weight from some Kentucky sour mash.

profileadjuster

It must cost Coke more to use cane sugar than high fructose corn syrup (HFCS). Money, not our well-being, must be their objective, since the contribution of HFCS to human weight gain is well established.

Ian MacAllen

Corn receives huge federal subsidies while cane sugar does not, which is why in the United Sates, high fructose corn syrup is cheaper and used in everything while elsewhere, cane sugar is competitively priced.