The film opens into a hot desert. The temperature is 42 degrees,we are informed. A bunch of jubilant children appears on the screen. Undeterred by the sun and the blistering sand,they have gathered for a game of cricket. A Coca-Cola crown is tossed into the air. The match takes off and the joy and celebration of togetherness obscures all the odds. The latest television commercial of beverages company Coca-Cola,finally,ends with Sachin Tendulkar invoking the spirit of sportsmanship and happiness. The previous campaign of the company,which was on air till last month,had children holding out the same message. They sang a song of joy and hope (umeed wali dhoop,sunshine wali aasha; a composition by lyricist Prasoon Joshi,the chairman of advertising agency McCann Erickson) and the film ended with some of them downing a bottle of Coca-Cola as a sign of celebration. Open Happiness is Coca-Colas new slogan and the company argues that nothing symbolises happiness better than children; hence their presence in its ads. Two years ago,Coca-Cola,along with seven food and beverages companies,had taken a pledge not to directly advertise to children below the age of 12 years. The India Pledge,according to the company,was a commitment to change food and beverage advertising on TV,print,radio and internet to children under the age of 12 years. Technically,the ads do not run afoul of the pledge. The company never pledged not to engage children below the age of 12 years in its advertising and it argues that using children in its advertisements does not qualify as advertising to them directly. In an emailed statement to The Indian Express,the company said that in keeping with the pledge,the two ads have not been aired on media platforms where children below the age of 12 comprise more than 35 per cent of the total audience. Yet,ever since Coca-Cola took the pledge,children and schools have become the focus of its marketing and corporate social responsibility (CSR) campaigns. Besides the two ads mentioned,the company in January 2011 launched its most ambitious CSR campaign,Support My School,in collaboration with NDTV. It sought to sensitise children on issues such as water conservation,sanitation and environment. According to the company,the campaign reached out to some 100 schools last year. The same year,it also kicked off Coca-Cola Cricket Cup,an inter-school tournament for students below the age of 16 years. Last year,11,000 students from 700 schools across 10 states participated. In 2009,the company had partnered with the All India Football Federation to launch a grass-roots tournament,Coca Cola Mir Iqbal Hussain Trophy. It has also been running a Limca Book of Records Quiz in schools and another league-based tournament called Sprite Gully Cricket Championship. There is no government rule against advertising to children below the age of 12. The 2010 India Pledge of Coca-Cola was,indeed,a step towards self-regulation. CSR initiatives aimed at promoting sports,sanitation,and a responsible way of life among children do not technically qualify as marketing communications. Besides,the company pointed out,it also runs other initiatives such as water replenishment and drip irrigation for farmers and retailers under its CSR project. Yet it is children who emerge the predominant theme of its marketing and CSR initiatives. Seeking not to be named,several marketing experts and independent observers say subliminal communication is more effective than direct messages and children are the most susceptible. The company maintains that all its products are healthy and safe and can be had as a part of balanced diet. We respect the rights of parents to make dietary choices for their children and hence do not directly market our products to children under 12, a spokesperson said.
