Australian regulators haul up coke for misleading ads

02 April 2009

The Australian Competition & Consumer Commission has pulled up the world's leading beverage maker, Coca-Cola for releasing its "Motherhood & Myth-Busting" advertisement that says its soft drink is 'baby safe.'

Using the motherly image of Australian film actress, Kerry Armstrong in its full-page advertisements in Australian newspapers, Coca Cola claimed that its soft drink was "kiddy-safe" since it did not contain excess caffeine and contained the same amount of caffeine as tea, did not make children fat and was not the cause for rotting teeth among children.

The advertisement, aimed at convincing parents about the virtues of having its soft drink, raised country-wide protest and uproar from parents, health groups and critics, who slammed the advertisement as grossly misleading.

One Australian mother said that Coca-Cola was suggesting that that it was okay for parents to include Coke in the everyday diet of children.

On 11 October 2008, Coca Cola took out full-page advertisement in leading Australian newspapers featuring Kerry Armstrong on motherhood and the various 'myths of Coca-Cola.'

What rankled every parent in Australia was the beverage makers claim about 'myths of Coca Cola' in the advertisement,stating:

It is a myth that Coca-Cola:

• Makes you fat
• Rots your teeth
• Packed with caffeine