Commercial Alert Criticizes Library of Congress Over Coke Ad Deal

[Gary Ruskin]

Commercial Alert		November 29, 2000

Following is today's news release about the misuse of the Library of
Congress to promote Coca-Cola.

NEWS RELEASE

For Immediate Release:			For More Information Contact:
Wednesday, November 29, 2000		Gary Ruskin (202) 296-2787

Commercial Alert Criticizes Library of Congress Over Coke Ad Deal

As Coca-Cola Co. announced a donation of old ads that allows it to bask
in the public splendor of the Library of Congress, Commercial Alert
criticized Librarian of Congress James H. Billington for "allowing the
Library of Congress to be used as a tawdry prop to sell junk food," said
Gary Ruskin, Director of Commercial Alert, which opposes the excesses of
commercialism, advertising and marketing.
  
"It is not the proper role of the taxpayer-financed Library of Congress
to help promote junk food like Coca-Cola to a nation that is suffering
skyrocketing levels of obesity," Ruskin said. "It is crass commercialism
for James Billington to degrade Jefferson's library and founding ideals
into a huckster's backdrop."  

At a widely-publicized ceremony tonight at the Library of Congress,
Coca-Cola Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Douglas Daft will donate
50 years of Coke ads to the Library of Congress. 

Such commercialism in the Library of Congress is disrespectful to Thomas
Jefferson and his ideals.  More than anyone else, Jefferson is the
founder of the Library of Congress.  In 1816, Jefferson wrote "I hope we
shall crush in its birth the aristocracy of our monied corporations
which dare already to challenge our government to a trial of strength,
and bid defiance to the laws of our country."

This month, in the largest racial discrimination settlement in U.S.
history, Coca-Cola Co. agreed to pay $192.5 million to settle
allegations that it routinely discriminated against black employees in
pay, promotions and performance evaluations.  "The Library of Congress
is wrong to associate itself with a corporation that has engaged in such
shameful conduct," Ruskin said.

Consuming large quantities of sugared soft drinks, such as Coca-Cola,
laden with excess calories, caffeine and other additives, can contribute
to obesity, tooth decay, osteoporosis, heart disease, and kidney stones,
according to a study by the Center for Science in the Public Interest,
"Liquid Candy: How Soft Drinks are Harming Americans' Health."

Commercial Alert's web address is <http://www.essential.org/alert/>.

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FOR MORE INFORMATION 
* About today's Coca-Cola promotional events at the Library of Congress,
see today's Washington Post article "It's the Reel Thing: Library Gets
Coca-Cola Collection" at
<http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A1547-2000Nov28.html>.

* About Coca-Cola's historic $192.5 million settlement of a racial
discrimination lawsuit, see a November 17 Washington Post article "Coke
to Pay $193 Million in Bias Suit" at
<http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A35560-2000Nov16.html>.

* About the health effects of drinking Coca-Cola, see the report "Liquid
Candy: How Soft Drinks are Harming Americans' Health," by Michael
Jacobson of the Center for Science in the Public Interest, at
<http://www.cspinet.org/sodapop/liquid_candy.htm>.


Commercial Alert opposes the excesses of commercialism, advertising and
marketing.  Commercial Alert's website is at
<http://www.essential.org/alert/>.

Commercial Alert's materials are distributed electronically via the
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PLEASE DISTRIBUTE WIDELY
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Gary Ruskin | Commercial Alert 
1611 Connecticut Ave. NW Suite #3A | Washington, DC 20009
Phone: (202) 296-2787 | Fax (202) 833-2406
http://www.essential.org/alert/ | mailto:gary@essential.org
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