Coca-Cola Apologizes to Ukraine for Map Showing Crimea as Russian
A representative of the Coca-Cola Company visited the Embassy of Ukraine in Washington and delivered a letter with a formal apology. Earlier, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine expressed that he could not comprehend why the corporation’s map of Russia, published on social media, showed Crimea as part of Russia.
On the 6th of January 2016, Kate Irvin, the official representative of the Coca-Cola Company, came to the Embassy of Ukraine in the USA to make a formal apology for their publication on social networks of a map of Russia that included the Crimean Peninsula as a part of Russia, as mentioned in the special statement on the Embassy’s website.
Irvin brought a letter from the Senior Vice President of the Coca-Cola Company to the Ambassador of Ukraine in the US. The letter contained an apology for the publication which was prepared by a third-party contractor in the interests of company. The post with the map was deleted as soon as management became aware of it, the letter says.
Earlier, the company’s Russian office also renounced the map. RBC quotes the representatives of the company: “The team at the Russian Coca-Cola Company used a stylized map of Russia as part of the Christmas Campaign. The agency that developed the map made changes to it later without our knowledge or consent.”
This is how the original post read on the social network VKontakte: “Can you grow the highest New Year tree in town? And decorate for all the country to see as you celebrate the New Year? Everything is possible with Coca-Cola! Repost this and get a tree for your town on a map! The more reposts, the higher the tree! Likes will help you to decorate your New Year tree, and your New Year photos will be seen by all of Russia! Let’s celebrate the winter holidays from Moscow to Vladivostok!”
When the publication with the map was deleted the following information appeared in its place: Dear community members! We sincerely apologize for this situation. The map has been corrected! We kindly ask for your understanding.”
Crimea was also marked on a map of Russia on the website of Coca-Cola’s main competitor, Pepsico. Ukraine appealed to Pepsico for an explanation as well, but there has been no formal response as of yet; however, the map was removed from the website.