If We Could Color Code Stupidity.....

Uhh, We Guessing The Part of the Label That Says 'Coca-Cola' Lets You Know What the Product Is, Not the Color of the Can!


    Working in retail, we are never surprised at the mindlessness of consumers.  They don't think about anything involving products they purchase, how they work, and how to operate them.  If I had a dollar for everytime I had a customer ask 'can't the car just DO IT for me??' ..... well, I'd have probably about 13 dollars.  That's what operators manuals are for..


   No, we don't want to have to think about anything.  This is America - we want what we want, we don't want to have to learn or think- and if you can't do it, we'll find someone who can.  That is, until they realize they can't, and we'll find someone else, until we finally end up back at your doorstep. Then the cycle starts all over again....


   In retail, branding is everything.  Even little kids know the Golden Arches before they're two years old, and their parents are no different.  God forbid if you change even the color of your product.  Coca-Cola is finding that out.  It's Christmas season, and the usual colors are red and green.  Well, Coke is already in a red can, so they decided to make a special can, with proceeds going to the World Wildlife Fund.  We'll avoid anything on that, and just stick with the can...


   Coke decided to use their famed Polar Bear motif (A Christmas staple), but instead of red, they went with a white and silver can.  The problem is, comsumers are brainlocked to think that the silver can is DIET COKE, not regular Coke.  Nevermind that it says COCA-COLA... People just think 'Duh, Silver Can, Diet Coke'.  It wouldn't matter if the label said 'Rat Poison' in Diet Coke font, as long as the can is silver, they'd buy it.  And if there's one thing we know, diet soda drinkers CAN'T STAND sugared cola!  Right up to the point of the can touching their lips, people weren't noticing.. They didn't know the gun was loaded....


   Naturally, there was Diet Coke drinker outrage.  So, Coke was forced to introduce new red cans for the promotion.  Here is where I have a little expertise.. I worked for one of the labelmakers that makes the Coke cans.  They may look similar, but for each promotion, there is a new label that must be designed, approved, printed ,shipped and affixed for the cans.  It takes probably 2 months to do all of this... So now Coke and the labelmakers have ten of millions of useless labels, and the WWF may lose millions of dollars in donations - all because we don't take the time to read.  Next time, maybe they'll require an eye exam at the supermarket to buy stuff....

.