Comments on: Take Our Taste Test

By: Eric in West Seattle

Eric in West Seattle — Sun, 14 Feb 2010 06:07:02 +0000

It’s like 3.5 years later. How’d it turn out?

By: clara catherine

clara catherine — Tue, 29 Aug 2006 22:18:31 +0000

I agree with Jim and hope Coke continues to get more and more negative media. People involved in “this movement” she be the 1st to realize how sick Coca-Cola’s business practices are. Don’t know what I’m talking about? Visit the websites http://www.killercoke.org ; http://www.studentsagainstsweatshops.org ; and http://www.laborrights.org.

IF YOU’RE IN SCHOOL RIGHT NOW, YOU SHOULD BE PART OF THE CAMPAIGN TO HOLD COCA-COLA ACCOUNTABLE for thier human rights and environmental abuses around the world.

NYU and U Michigan are only 2 schools out of 70+ in the US (lots more in the UK) that have kicked Coke off their campuses. But it took students to convince their administrators to cancel business contracts with Coke. From The Winking Circle: “It’s not like, “I’m one person, what can I do?” anymore, it’s like “I’m one person, what can I start?!”

By: Eivade

Eivade — Sun, 07 May 2006 15:04:39 +0000

I would agree that the Toronto Ad firm is the one that should be punked… shame on them for translating a local phenom into big bucks for an ad account. The creatibe void that is Coke was probably blown away by the idea without ever hearing much about this movement/DVD… local peeps ripping off loacl peeps… don’t pee in the sandbox you play in (Rule #1)!

By: BIGWHEEL

BIGWHEEL — Thu, 04 May 2006 00:47:33 +0000

BIKE CULTURE IS NOT FOR SALE BENNY WE ARE NOT HAPPY THAT YOU THINK YOU CAN MAKE MONEY OFF OF YOURE BIKE CULTURE VIDEO BY WORKING WITH THE SCUMBAG LAYWERZ TO SELL US ALL OUT JUST SO YOU CAN GET PAID BIKE CULTURE IS NOT ABOUT MONEY! WHAT NEXT ARE YOU GOING TO VIDEOTAPE US AND WAIT FOR SOMEONE TO COPY THAT SO YOU CAN SICK YOURE BIGSHOT LAYWER ON THEM AND GET PAID? NO WAY STAY OUT OF DAYTON CAUSE THE WHEELMASTERZ ARE NOT SELLOUTS!

By: Johnny Payphone

Johnny Payphone — Sun, 30 Apr 2006 16:32:04 +0000

As a member of a national community of people who make crazy bikes to regain control of our transportation, we have been fighting the coopting of this culture by coolhunters such as Coke. I'm not surprised to find out the commercial was stolen, given the date it was made compared to companies such as Adidas and Puma only catching on to this possible trend in 2006. While this may seem minor, and even flattering, I consider it merely one of the small steps that a hegemonous process employs to slowly manufacture consent for outright exploitation. I encourage you to vocally object to anyone who tries to sell the tallbike image for whatever product. See also: Bike Culture Not For Sale: Village Voice

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Sat, 29 Apr 2006 18:35:56 +0000

The Toronto Star wrote an article "Not All Things Go Better With Coke". They actually got a Coke spokesman to go on record with it.

By: George Langley

George Langley — Wed, 26 Apr 2006 18:39:56 +0000

Remember the Whassup? guys? Same thing – some ad exec saw an indie film, and adapted it to another monolithic company’s ad campaign.
The difference, though, is they DID involve and credit the original creators. So as much as I hated most of the ads (what a high idea to live to – reducing your entire life to one word and bad beer!), I tip my hat to them, that they borrowed and didn’t just steal the idea.
Spoofs, of course, are something entirely different…

By: Jim Munroe

Jim Munroe — Tue, 18 Apr 2006 18:52:31 +0000

This is the same line of argument corporate apologists use when defending Coke’s influence in Columbia — people have died there trying to form unions in bottling plants. Coke didn’t do it directly, no, but they’ve turned a blind eye to it.

I would agree that the bulk of the blame should rest on the ad agency they made the mistake of hiring. However, when Coke was approached about this issue by the lawyers mentioned above they refused to settle: they refused to admit they’d made a mistake. This kind of negative press is a way to hold them somewhat accountable.

By: nate

nate — Tue, 18 Apr 2006 18:03:33 +0000

Give me a break, the AD AGENCY is clearly at fault here, not Coke. Coke simply told its ad agency, “Hey, go make us a cool commercial”, and the ad agency went and ripped off the creative. Attempting to hold Coke responsible for the ad agency’s actions is ridiculous. If anybody is doing any suing it should be Coke — they should sue the ad agency for not producing original content (and presumably breaching contract).

Saying that Coke is “stooping to petty theft” attributes the action to the wrong party. Interpreting it that way is inflammatory, although I must concede that deliberately spinning it that way seems like an easy way to get some cheap blog hits.

By: Space

Space — Mon, 17 Apr 2006 03:30:55 +0000

These powerhouse corporations are obviously lackluster in the creativity department…to think someone has been looked upon as a marketing genious for his/her originality in promoting the product and has likely received huge financial recognition for ripping off an authentic work of art. They (corporations) have been known to lack integrity with remarkable consistancy and are governed by the premise that rapid financial gain regardless of who or what they had to step on, is far superior to building on moral foundations in a tough and competative industry. I say go ahead and sue them…take your credit where it’s due Benny. After all, it could fund your next project quite nicely!