Yesterday, I was surprised to see a Coca Cola can emblazoned with "Active Living Sponsor". Immediately I was excited that anything with AL on it was receiving that much exposure. But I was also suspicious. Is the corporation simply promoting active lifestyles to promote some good will and forestall efforts by legislatures across the country from passing added taxes on sodas?
The Coke website mentions several initiatives they're involved in, but they don't mention amount of financial support beyond $2.5 million to U.S. national parks over 5 years, a paltry sum for a company that earns about $6 billion per year. I wish the company would contribute substantial sums if they were promoting themselves as sponsors. But it's just a reality that cash-starved AL programs are willing to accept any amount of assistance and Coke is filling a void. And it is a more productive response than alarmist rhetoric.
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