Coca-Cola cans in the Middle East have been stripped of their labels during Ramadan, as part of a campaign to ‘combat prejudice’.
The can design features a red background and Coca-Cola’s signature wavy, silver stripe — but not the words “Coca-Cola. On the back of the can, it says: “Labels are for cans not people.”
Ramadan, the Muslim holiday, runs from June 17 to July 17.
Coca-Cola also released a YouTube video showing the misconceptions that can arise from prejudice.
“Through this campaign, Coca-Cola encourages the world to see without labels, but instead to open their hearts and see with their hearts,” Coca-Cola said in a statement. “Coca-Cola is removing its own iconic labels in an effort to promote a world without labels and prejudices.”
The c powerful web film by Memac Ogilvy Dubai and FP7/DXB Dubai features a group of strangers invited to bond with each other over dinner, but in the dark.
They’re filmed (with infrared cameras) discussing their lives, hobbies and interests, and when the lights go up express their surprise at the people they were talking to.
The group includes a heavily tattooed guy, a man in traditional Arab dress and a wheelchair user.
At the end of the film, the group are invited to reach under the table to pull out of a box of limited edition Coke cans, from which the labels have been removed and the caption “Labels are for cans, not for people” has been printed. FP7/DXB, part of McCann Worldgroup, designed the cans.
he promotion, called “Remove labels this Ramadan,” forms part of Coke’s larger “Let’s take an extra second” campaign, which calls on people to take some extra time to get to know one another beyond first impressions.
“Through this campaign, Coca-Cola encourages the world to see without labels, but instead to open their hearts and see with their hearts,” Coca-Cola said in a statement.
“Coca-Cola is removing its own iconic labels in an effort to promote a world without labels and prejudices.”
Coca-Cola was able to skirt any nutrition and ingredient labelling rules by making the label-less cans only available at events.