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WATCH: Coke Ad Gets an Unforgettable Makeover as Protest for Sponsoring Olympics
WATCH: Coke Ad Gets an Unforgettable Makeover as Protest for Sponsoring Olympics
LGBT activists are taking Coca-Cola and McDonald's to task via over their sponsorship of the Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia, using parodies and ironic spins on social media campaigns.
Queer Nation NY has released a video (below) that juxtaposes Coke's early-1970s jingle "I'd Like to Teach the World to Sing" with images of LGBT demonstrators being abused in Russia. Coke recently defended the police detention of a man who unfurled a rainbow flag on the Olympic torch route in Russia in protest of the nation's "gay propaganda" law. The company also asserted that it is "a strong supporter of the LGBT community" and an advocate "for inclusion and diversity," in a statement provided to AmericaBlog.
Meanwhile, LGBT advocates have co-opted the "#CheersToSochi" Twitter hashtag released by McDonald's, using it in messages such as "Cheering what? Olympic officials pummeling gay activists? Russian laws attacking LGBT people. Shame! #CheersToSochi," reports the U.K.'s Pink News. Activists and pundits such as Dan Savage and Michelangelo Signorile have also sent tweets objecting to the company's Olympic sponsorship.
McDonald's officials told Reuters Friday that they were aware that some people were using the hashtag in protest messages. The company also released this statement: "McDonald's supports human rights, the spirit of the Olympics and all the athletes who've worked so hard to compete in the Games. We believe the Olympic Games should be open to all, free of discrimination, and that applies to spectators, officials, media and athletes."
Watch the video below:
