The United States is the scene of this curious news generated by Coca-Cola. The company has launched a campaign to personalize your can with your name or any nickname you like, except for the denominations “Jesus” and “Trump 2024”. The machine succinctly explains that they can’t afford them. However, other names and appellatives such as Satan or Allah offered no problem. You can also silkscreen your can of cola with phrases in support of Kamala Harris.
The most conservative and Catholic sectors in the United States have reacted with displeasure and surprise, flooding social networks with their negative reactions.
The problem was initially pointed out by Facebook user Antwoine Hill, whose discovery went viral after being shared by the conservative “Libs” account. The images showed that while “Harris Walz 2024” was accepted, “Trump 2024” was not. Other netizens began to share their own experiences in trying to include words related to religious themes in the cans, where it was noted that “Satan” and “Allah” were not censored, while the phrase “Jesus loves you” generated a warning that prevented its use.
However, the Coca-Cola website clarified that if a first name was accompanied by a last name, personalization was possible. The company finally adjusted its tool to prohibit all political, religious, trademarked names, public figures and any terms that could be offensive, stating that this was a measure to avoid conflicts.
In addition, and in response to the controversy, Coca-Cola issued a statement explaining that the technology behind can customization is not perfect and that, therefore, they have additional verification processes for certain cases. In addition, they noted that if a specific name is not approved, consumers can go to a store with a legal ID to have a manager authorize the customization. If the process is done online, it is also possible to modify the request to accommodate the restrictions.
Although the issue sparked intense debate, Antwoine Hill – a speaker on the issue – expressed surprise at the magnitude of attention it received. Still, he maintained his position that the name “Jesus” generates a disproportionate and unwarranted reaction compared to other terms. Hill, who also sees more serious problems in society such as drugs, violence and homelessness, commented that while he does not consider this controversy as significant as those challenges, he will not support any company that does not endorse Jesus.
