The Coca-Cola Company pulled a German television ad for the orange soft drink Fanta following complaints that the commercial referred to the 1940s, when the beverage was invented following an international trade embargo on the Nazi regime, as the “good old times.”
The ad celebrates Fanta’s 75th anniversary, but conveniently makes no mention of the role Nazi Germany played in the bubbly drink’s initial creation.
According to the ad, German bottling plants were forced to create new formulas during the 1940s since ingredients needed to make regular Coke were scarce at the time.
But the real, omitted reason Coke ingredients were unavailable during that period was due to sanctions instated by the Allies on Germany, which came as a response to Nazi aggression across Europe during World War II.
An overwhelmingly negative online response to the ad led to Coca-Cola’s pulling of the official clip, which the soft drink company originally stated was intended to evoke “positive childhood memories.”
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Coca-Cola later apologized for intimating that 1940s Germany was a wonderful time and place to grow up as a kid.
The full German ad can be viewed here:
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