Coca-Cola has certainly learned its lesson about trying to highlight the plight of the polar bear. Just a month after its debut, the company is phasing out its mostly-white holiday cans, which were meant to draw attention to how global warming is threatening polar bears (and Coke’s contribution of up to $3 million to the World Wildlife Fund for conservation efforts).
The cans were scheduled to stay on shelves through February, but since they’ve sparked mass hysteria, they’ll be replaced (see update) by red polar bear cans in the coming weeks. Consumers say it’s impossible to tell the difference between a white can that says “Coca-Cola,” and a silver can that features snowflakes and the words “Diet Coke.” This has led to many tragic incidents of die-hard Diet Coke addicts letting regular Coke touch their lips. Twitter users have called the campaign “trickery” and “blasphemy,” and one wrote, “PEOPLE! Don’t be a victim,” warning that confusing Coke for Diet Coke is “a SHOCK to the palate!” If you or a loved one has accidentally consumed the wrong type of carbonated beverage, please don’t hesitate to notify the proper authorities.
UPDATE: A company representative informs us that, “The limited-edition white ‘Arctic Home’ cans will remain on store shelves until supplies last and then we will switch out to a red “Arctic Home” holiday can.” Here’s a shot of the new can, which has the same cute polar bear design but restores balance to the universe with a red background.