Coca-Cola Ad With V Ignites Social Media Firestorm

Kim Taehyung, aka V of BTS, faces backlash after being chosen to be the new global ambassador of Coca-Cola Zero. Fans have called the endorsement of the brand during a genocide of Gaza as “tone deaf” and “deeply disappointing” following the company’s placement on the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions list.

On July 31, Kim Taehyung, who has just returned from his solo tour for the fans in South Korea, took to social media to promote the Korean food service company, Calm Juice. It was then that fans found an ad photo of V for the brand in a post he had written the day before.

Taehyung is no stranger to endorsement controversies; V recently promoted McDonald’s on July 7 and has been criticized back then for indirectly profiting Israel and ignoring the humanitarian crises that are occurring at the moment. In the image, the BTS member held two bags with the fast-food chain logo and wrote, “I can’t breathe.” The context of his statement was quickly pointed out by netizens, as he was referring to running in the airport.

After 11 days of V’s return from taking a rest after the BTS’ Break The Silence tour, he became involved in another controversy after being chosen as the new face for Coke Zero in South Korea.

On August 1, the world was shocked when V was chosen as the main model in a launch trailer of Coke Zero for their campaign for the Summer of 2024. Coke has announced that Taehyung has joined as the new Global Brand Ambassador, as one of the top artists in South Korea.

Activists have targeted V after BTS chose to ignore the growing humanitarian crisis in Gaza, as well as publicly backing the Black Lives Matter movement in 2020. Along with the boycott calls towards the music group, fans have also said that the alleged new position of the youngest BTS member would be holding Israel up.

Under #BestCokeEver, Coke Korea’s promotional material was shown to the world last Thursday (August 1). At the end of the video, fans were surprised when V appeared in the final cut as a Coca-Cola Zero spokesperson. It is confirmed that the BTS members previously were the face of the brand through #SummerWithBTS together with New Jeans, the group’s girl group labelmates.

Fans Were Highly Disappointed With BTS’s choice of Brand Endorsement.

Fans have been very unhappy with the choice of the K-pop idols, as, to them, Coca-Cola is a company that has long profited from illegally occupied territories and killed Palestinian civilians.

Coca-Cola Was Listed By BDS For Killing Palestinians In Gaza

It was known to the public that Coca-Cola was on the boycott lists as the brand had opened one of its “Happiness Juice” stores in Gush Etzion, south of Jerusalem, and had supplied the Israeli military in the West Bank, according to a 2022 investigation by the Electronic Intifada.

In 2024, the company has also faced a backlash over an ad in Bangladesh, which can be translated from the local language as, “We (Coke) have no relationship with Israel.”

Activists, however, do not believe that, as Coca-Cola Israel was established in the Atarot Settlement Industrial Zone in 1967, and was later attacked by the occupation forces of Israel.

Tabor Winery has also been found sourcing grapes from the West Bank as well as the Syrian Golan Heights.

Fans Have Written Open Letters Urging V To Pull Out From Coca-Cola Deal

Fans and critics have been writing open letters, urging BTS’ V to pull out from the brand. In an open letter written to the singer, many of his fans have stated that Coca-Cola has been “operating on the stolen land of the Palestinians.”

The message also contained an apology from BTS for not being outspoken about the killing of Palestinians and the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Gaza. Fans had also hoped that V would educate himself on his statement before he promotes and endorses the brand.

The most recent open letter to the 29-year-old celebrity was written in South Korea by an international fan and called on BTS to stop all appearances for Coke in the country. It was also said that fans found it a shame and a betrayal of the idol group they had supported all their lives.