Coca Cola Advert on the
"Dome of the Rock" Hoax

Innovative Minds
www.inminds.co.uk

It has been reported on the internet that Coca-Cola has launched a grotesque advert in Israel depicting the Dome of the Rock with a Coke logo.

THE FOLLOWING IS DETAILS OF A E-MAIL ALLEGEDLY SENT BY A CONCERNED MUSLIM TO COCA COLA RESPONDING TO COCA COLA'S ADVERT ON "THE DOME OF THE ROCK":

Letter to Coke:

Sir/Madam,

I recently received, through email, a photo of a Coca-Cola advertisement in Israel. It basically emblazons your trademark over the Dome of the Rock.As a Muslim, of Arab heritage, I am outraged & disgusted.

However, I also feel that a global company of your stature would typically not stoop so low. I have been unable to attach the photo to this message for your review and response.

Please advise as to what your address is, so that I may forward this photo for your review, and subsequent response.
Thank you.

Reply from Coke:

Thank you for contacting The Coca-Cola Company, Mr. Hassan.We sincerely appreciated receiving your comments regarding our advertising for Coca-Cola classic.

It is a challenge to appeal to as many consumers in our vast target market as possible. Your constructive criticism helps us know when we are not successful in accomplishing this difficult task. Please be assured that yourcomments have been shared appropriately.

We do not want to lose your patronage. Your comments are important to us,so please feel free to contact our Web site again whenever you have comments to share.

Vilda
The Coca-Cola Company
Industry and Consumer Affairs

Second Letter to Coke:

Thank you for your response to my inquiry.As a lifelong consumer of your products, I'm extremely disappointed. I was hoping that this advertisement was a hoax, perpetrated by someone against your company. While I appreciated your candor, it did not excuse the extremely poor judgment and taste exhibited by Coca Cola.
You have definitely lost my patronage. In addition, I will make sure that I share your response with my friends in the community - who were unwilling to give you the benefit of a doubt from the beginning.

I will also make it a point to convey this issue to my friends and acquaintances in the Arab and Muslim world. I'm also attaching a copy of your ad, from which you will recognize that, by the time I had received it,it had already received wide circulation on the Internet. I doubt that the increased revenue from this ad - if any - will outweigh the reaction from around the world.

Hoax

The Advert and the email correspondent which are sent accompanying the advery are all fake. The Dome of the Rock advert was in fact one in a series of fake Coca-Cola adverts created by a design agency.

The official statement from Coca-Cola :

Atlanta, August 23, 2001 - We are aware of false advertisements featuring holy sites in the Middle East that have been circulating on the Internet. The advertisements are fabricated and have not been produced by The Coca-Cola Company. The Coca-Cola Company has full respect for the cultures and religions in all of the nearly 200 countries in which we operate.

Source:

http://www2.coca-cola.com/presscenter/nr_summer2001_statementmideast_falseadvertising.html

But Reality Is Worse

From 1966 onward Coca-Cola has been a stauch supporter of Israel. Recently the Government of Israel Economic Mission honored Coca-Cola at the Israel Trade Award Dinner for its continued support of Israel for the last 30 years and for refusing ro abide by the Arab League boycott of Israel.

Boycott Coca-Cola!

For full details please see: Boycott Coca-Cola