Details

39 mins, 2008

This award-winning film tells the story of how Coca-Cola became the world’s most famous multinational company and follows its quest to be the globe’s number one beverage.

HOW IT STARTS: The Second World War prompts Coke’s global expansion as every US soldier gets a bottle of Coke for five cents. Bottling plants are shifted overseas. Coca-Cola becomes a worldwide symbol of the American way of life. In the 1960s Coke is boycotted by the US civil rights movement for racist policies. By the 1980s Coca-Cola is top of the world’s soft drinks – and then aims higher.

GLOBAL TAKEOVER: In France people resist “coca-colonisation”, denouncing the drink as a threat to their identity. In China Coke builds up a bottling network which spans the country – but is up against a long history of tea drinking. In Mexico for many people Coke and Pepsi become a kind of holy water.

OUTRAGES: Coke claims not to interfere with local politics – but in Guatemala the activities of one of its bottlers cause a scandal when employees trying to start a union are murdered. Outrages in other countries – most notoriously Colombia – also blacken the company’s name.

THE BATTLE GOES ON: Coke’s quest for world domination goes on. Coke’s priority is the emerging markets – countries like China and India. But critics claim the costs to local people are too high and press for government action against the company.

DVD EXTRAS provide a wealth of additional material expanding on the subject and bringing it up to date. They include: Coke in developing countries, corporations and world poverty, cola wars in Russia, Coke and the Cold War.

Key Topics

• Globalisation
• Multinationals
• Competition
• Society
• Corporate Responsibility