Coca-Cola: Manipulative Marketing

Coca-Cola has a history of deceptively marketing its products as sustainable. Tactics include campaigns to manipulate consumers and using misleading content in advertising and on packaging. 

Litter Bugs

In the 1950s Coca-Cola, along with other beverage corporations, created the Keep America Beautiful advertising campaign. This campaign pushed the idea that consumers are responsible for litter, promoting community ‘clean-ups’ and deflecting corporate responsibility. In 2024, Coca-Cola still supports this ‘community improvement’ campaign.

The Glass Bottle Brand

Coca-Cola is aware of public pressure concerning environmental issues, so they brand their company in a way that doesn’t associate them with plastic. The iconic image of the glass Coca-Cola bottle has come to be synonymous with the brand, and holds nostalgia for consumers. However, it doesn’t reflect the reality of the company’s packaging.

The Story of Stuff Project analysed over 80 of Coca-Cola’s adverts. They found that although only 10% of their packaging comes in glass, it was disproportionately used in their ads (54% of all images). In fact around half of Coca-Cola’s packaging is actually plastic. When the images used included plastic packaging, they were almost always accompanied by positive messaging about recyclability and refillables. However, Coca-Cola has historically failed to meet their own sustainability targets on these issues. 

Misleading Content on Packaging

A 2023 European Consumer Organisation (BEUC) report exposed some of the misleading packaging claims made by Coca-Cola and other plastic bottled drinks companies, e.g. ‘made from 100% recycled content’ and ‘100% recyclable’. These statements are often accompanied by green/circular imagery suggesting sustainability. The report highlights how these claims are not reflective of the actual composition of the bottles and amount to greenwashing. Coca-Cola eventually responded to this complaint in May 2025 promising to remove their greenwashing claims. However, concerns remain over how clear future labelling will be.

Greenwashing and Greed

Coca-Cola’s advertising claims deliberately mislead consumers into thinking that their products aren’t harmful to the environment. This greenwashing allows Coca-Cola to use cheap, disposable plastic without further public scrutiny. Coca-Cola continues to make record profits without any regard to the obscured environmental consequences. 

Read more about The Coca-Cola Company’s greenwashing tactics in episode 5 of this seven part series….

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For more information contact: info@scarabtrust.org.uk

Images:

Drink Coca-Cola - Image by DWilliam from Pixabay (ST REF:1345)

Giant Coca-Cola ad - Photo by Vinzent Weiskopf on Unsplash (ST ref:1344)