Towleroad reports that Coca-Cola has fauxpologized for the social media campaign created by its South African division. When users attempted to add the word "gay" to their image of a Coke can, the very snarky response they received was "Oops, let's pretend you didn't just type that."
Coke's statement:
"We are aware that the Share a Coke promotion we are running in South Africa has generated an unintended outcome. [Yeah, it was highjacked to point out social injustice, much the same way Chevy's campaign was back in the early 2000s.] We apologise for any offence caused. The Share a Coke programme was created to allow consumers to take the iconic "Coca-Cola" script and replace it with their name on the can. In South Africa, the digital version of the Share a Coke promotion did not properly limit the customisation to individuals' names. We've taken down the site and are in the process of revising the digital tool immediately…As one of the world's most inclusive brands, we value and celebrate diversity. We have long been a strong supporter of the LGBT community and have advocated for inclusion, equality and diversity through both our policies and practices. Again we apologise for any offense this has caused."
In other words, "in the process of revising the digital tool" means "we're going to make sure the filters catch ALL the possibly icky words you filthy homos might try and use to disrupt our ad campaign."
Fuck Coca Cola. Anyone remember what happened to Coors beer back in the 80s? There are gay bars that still won't serve the swill…