Coca-Cola and the Olympics

Coca-Cola is one of the advertising heartbeats of the Olympics.  Every two years, you will never fail to see Coca-Cola commercials hailing the triumphs of athletes.  The Olympics are a feel good marketing event for the G8, and no one knows how to market to the feel good vibe better than Coca-Cola.

2014 Sochi Olympic Speed Skater Coke Can 

The funny part was Sochi 2014 was a little bumpy for Coke.  Putin's crackdown on the gay community angered many Americans, and anyone with ties to the Olympics became a fair target for guerrilla warfare.  For example, someone juxtaposed the iconic Hill Top Coca-Cola commercial with footage of Russians manhandling protesters of Russian's sexuality laws. The video attempts to convince the viewer Coke is in cahoots with this behavior by sponsoring the games.

Of course, to the sensible, anger should be directed more to the International Olympic Committee than Coca-Cola.  The IOC selected Russian as the host venue, not a beverage company.  Then again, it's far more fun to throw rocks at American corporations than at the French elitists that compose the IOC.  Yet is operated by marketing genius, and they struck back by posting the video on their facebook page, essentially recasting it as Coca-Cola being the bright light of diversity and inclusion coming to the dark and dreary Russian world, an advertising counter stroke I believe is pure genius.   

Still, I believe the memes like this had an effect; there were only 3 Coca-Cola winter games cans this year, far less than what was released for London.  It seems at least in American, Coke was willing to keep a lower profile than usual.