Coca-Cola Removes Its Labels To Send An Important Message

Coca-Cola Removes Its Labels To Send An Important Message

Loud and clear. In a video for Coca-Cola, six men sit around a table in a pitch black room, and guess what the others look like based on stated interests, professions and hobbies.

When one man says, “I read a lot of books. I read a lot of cognitive psychology, behavioural science. I’ve spoken at TED Talks,” the others speculate he probably looks like a nerd. But when the lights come on, the speakers’ true identities are revealed. Because of certain misconceptions, every person’s prediction about the others at the table were wrong.

“It was amazing when the lights came on, and you get to realize who you’re actually conversing with,” one man says.

Another man admits if he had seen some of these people in the outside world, he probably wouldn’t have taken the time to sit down with them.

“Through this campaign, Coca-Cola encourages the world to see without labels, but instead to open their hearts, and see with their hearts…”

So, in honour of Ramadan (June 17 – July 17), in Middle Eastern countries “…Coca-Cola is removing its own iconic labels in aneffort to promote a world without labels and prejudices,” Coca-Cola said in a statement, according to CNN Money. And in a smart display of advertising, the brand took away its labels, replacing them with the words:

“Labels are for cans, not people.”

Upon seeing the Coca-Cola cans, the men come to terms with the brand’s message: Judging and labelling people, before actually getting to know them, is wrong.

“It changes your mind, your perspective, your heart,” someone in the video says. But the campaign isn’t without criticism.

“Critics debate whether these are genuine acts of social good or mere marketing ploys that associate a brand with feel-good campaigns. Also debatable is whether a limited-time campaign can have enough impact to change perceptions in the long term,” CNN writer Wyatt Massey points out. But, whether or not it’s for a brand or for real world change, we think the message is still a valid and good one.

Find the English equivalent of the following Hungarian expressions or sentence parts in the text.

1.    találgatnak, hogy néznek ki a többiek

2.    de amikor felkapcsolódik a lámpa

3.    valószínűleg nem szánt volna rá időt

4.    a szívükkel lássanak

5.    a márka levettek a címkéket

6.    mielőtt igazán megismernénk őket

Key:

1.    guess what the others look like

2.    But when the lights come on

3.    he probably wouldn’t have taken the time

4.    see with their hearts

5.    the brand took away its labels

6.    before actually getting to know them