2019: “Share a Coke with Whānau”

September 15, 2023

By AHNZ

In November 2019 the Cocacola company were slammed in the media for marketing their product to Maoris. Other brands must make sure in future to employ or pay off credentialed cultural advisors to avoid the same backlash.

The New Zealand Dental Association said Maoris should not be told about Coke because they had enough problems. The product should be marketed to White people instead whose health was less expendable as it had not been ruined yet. (I’m paraphrasing.)

Fast-forward to September 2022 and Whittaker’s Chocolate marketed their product with Maori text on the wrappers to much approval!? An MP even broke the law to offer product endorsements. Whittaker’s had made it safely to 3rd Base where Coke had earlier struck out.

Rather than take a bold move to do what Whittakers thought was the right thing for social justice the Miraka Kirīmi chocolate was tentatively tested on social media first and as early as 2020. But that was right on the tail of Coke doing the same thing and being hammered! How did the chocolate factory manage to land this branding tactic so well while the massive international Cocacola Company face-planted?

In a statement prepared with Māori public health body…The Māori Dental Association, NZDA…said calls to action such as “‘Share a Coke with Whānau’ and ‘Share a Coke with Kuia” were “a subversive insidious way to connect with people who suffer a disproportionate amount of dental disease and harm from a public health perspective.” Te reo Coca-Cola labels ‘exploit Māori’ says NZ Dental Association, Stuff (2019)

“Coca-Cola has been accused of reverse racism after a training video for its employees told them to “try to be less white”.” – NZH (2021)

“Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern says Green Party co-leader Marama Davidson’s social media post featuring chocolate branded in te reo Māori by Whittaker’s could fall foul of Cabinet rules that prohibit ministers from endorsing products.” – Green Party co-leader Marama Davidson defends Whittaker’s chocolate social media post after PM raises issues, NZH (2022)

“Whittaker’s first revealed the Miraka Kirīmi label in 2020 in limited quantities for social media engagement…” – Whittaker’s Miraka Kirīmi chocolate block returns despite racist backlash, Stuff (2023)

In reality, however, it’s a most racist stance. If Coke is bad for teeth then what should it matter that it’s a brown man’s or a white man’s or a yellow man’s tooth? This particular release/story racialises their issue.

Notice, these dental and Māori Victimhood Culture priests offer the appearance of protecting Maori while actually infantalising them? Virtue Signalling hypocrisy is so gross.

It’s a paternalistic posture, predicated on the idea Maori can’t resist advertising or make their own health and dietary choices without oversight. It’s as if they’re trying to push back against racism in the guise of Big Cola who is trying to poison the brown man.

So it was that a company was shamed and humiliated for putting Maori on the wrapper of their sugary product.

So it was that anyone criticising a company for putting Maori on the wrapper of their sugary product were shamed and humiliated.

Branding to hypocrites is a fast-paced game of keep-up isn’t it? Evidently New Zealand had become a little bit further along in the Great Unravelling by the time Whittaker’s struck tentatively ‘for the good of Maori language’ but we were not ready for Coke to boldly and blanketly release the identical gimmick ‘for the good of the Maori language’ just months before.

“It comes as Coca-Cola Amatil announced it was making the switch to 100 per cent renewable electricity in Australia and New Zealand by 2025. The company has also released a prototype of their sustainable paper bottles, developed in partnership with Danish company Paboco, or Paper Bottle Company, which specialises in recyclable packaging for products.” – NZH (2021)

Oh, fuck off.

—
Ref. “Share a Coke with Whānau”, NZB3 (2019)

Like    Comment     Share