Coca Cola revises Christmas truck tour plans following criticism from health organisations
Coca Cola has revised plans for its truck tour this Christmas after receiving criticism from health organisations last year.
Traditionally, the famous red truck, which features in arguably the most iconic festive TV commercial of our time, tours towns and cities as part of events organised by local councils and shopping centres. However, last year, the campaign was criticised by health bodies for encouraging people, particularly children, to consume drinks that have high sugar content.
In 2017, the Sugar Smart campaign objected to the truck visiting UK cities, especially those with high levels of childhood decay, and Public Health England issued new guidelines to local authorities to encourage them to think about the impact of marketing campaigns like those run by Coca Cola.
This year, the tour has been scaled back, with 24 destinations. Last Christmas, there were 38 stops. Coca Cola will be issuing a selection of free drinks, including Diet Coke, Coke Zero and regular cola.
Residents in some towns and cities included in the tour have protested against the campaign, and some cities have opted out of this year’s itinerary, including Liverpool. A total of 83 organisations and campaign groups have also signed a petition calling for Coca Cola to hand out sugar-free drinks only.
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