Coca-Cola Ad in Mexico Commercializes and Legitimizes ‘White Savior’ Complex

Nov 27, 2015
12:03 PM

Yes, the following video is an actual Coca-Cola ad from Mexico. Our friend Laura Martínez of Mi blog es tu blog found it and then let us know about it.

Coca-Cola has now made the video private.

VideoPrivate

Nonetheless, we have the video, even though we never thought Coca-Cola would make it private:

For those who can’t read Spanish, here is the quick summary:

  • 81.6% of indigenous Mexicans have felt outcasts for speaking another language other than Spanish.
  • Enter really good-looking (and white) Mexican youth who have this GREAT IDEA!
  • Show a lot of Coca-Cola product placements.
  • Build a tree with Coca-Cola products.
  • Then… light up the Coke “tree” with a “let us all be one and united” in Mixe.
  • Create a Coke-sponsored #AbreTuCorazón (Open Your Heart) campaign.

So there you have it. Like Laura said, “This is wrong in so many levels, that I’m just going to leave it here. I am speechless. I am without speech.”

Enough said.

UPDATE: The Associated Press reported on December 1 that a group is asking for the ad to be pulled.

UPDATE: Coca-Cola has issued a statement about the video:

As part of Coca-Cola México´s Christmas campaign for this year the video “Mixe Community Totontepec” was launched on digital channels, seeking to convey a message of unity and joy. Our intention was never to be insensitive to or underestimate any indigenous group. We have now removed the video and apologize to anyone who may have been offended.

In nearly 90 years in the country, Coca-Cola Mexico has worked to share messages of unity and friendship to contribute to build a society free of prejudices.