BY FABIAN LEDGISTER, Staff Reporter
Coca-Cola advertisement taken from Internet website. - ANDREW SMITH
BASED ON COMPLAINTS received from Rastafarians locally, the WISYNCO company will be temporarily pulling a popular 'Coca-Cola' com-mercial off the air.
The animated advertisement, which had an underlying theme of 'unity' because of the World Cup football competition, portrayed a man who many say looks like a 'Rasta-man,' and a large soap bar, hugging one another after being at odds.
Priests from the prominent Rastafarian sect, Bobo Shanti (Ethiopia Africa Black International Congress), called for the removal of the commercial from local airplay, but is also asking for a public apology.
"It (commercial) is degrading. Anything that is degrading Rasta, who is the last hope fi the black nation must be stopped. The whole world plague with war and injustice, an Rasta still a preach love and unity ... Di big company need to pull the ad and give an apology," said Priest Iman, of the Bobo Shanti tribe.
But WISYNCO, the company responsible for the distribution and marketing of Coca-Cola locally, is adamant that it was not a Rastafarian being portrayed in their commercial.
IT IS A HIPPIE
"There was no portrayal of Rastafarians in the commercial ... The character of the scene in question is a hippie. He was Caucasian, had long flowing hair with a band around it ... This is a misconception of an ad that was meant for humour, fun, and unity during World Cup," explained WISYNCO's public relations and advertising manager, Kimberly Lawson-Lue.
Lead vocalist and guitarist for Mystic Revellers, Billy Mystic, says he has taken no offence from the commercial, as he too saw a hippie, and not a Rastafarian on the commercial.
"When mi see dat mi nuh even see dat as Rasta, cause is peace sign mi see, an mi nuh even see nuh Selassie button or nutten fi seh is a Rasta dat ... We (mystic revellers) nuh tek offence cause is a hippie man dat," he said.
Popular Rastafarian singer, Tony Rebel, also says that he too saw a hippie, but said the character could be easily interpreted as a Rastafarian.
"The commercial shows someone looking like a hippie ... but it could easily be interpreted as Rasta, and I have heard talk on the streets already, so the relevant people should pull the ad," said Tony Rebel.
"Jamaican people live an indigenous way of life, and Rasta is very influential here, and I don't think Coca-Cola would want to offend such a powerful group locally," he added.
But as Tony Rebel highlighted, based on myths surrounding Rastafarians and their alleged 'boycott' of soap, many viewers could easily be led to view the character in question as a Rastafarian.
This myth, the Bobo Shanti tribe explains, has some underlying truth in it, as many true Rastafarians in fact do shun the 'Babylon soap'.
"Is not every soap we use, 'cause Babylon put all sort of things in it ... Jus recently I and I a look what mek up di soap and I find seh some of it come from tings whe mek from hog ... That is Babylon's way to defile Rasta," said Priest Allan.
But the group admitted that due to the scarce availability of naturally-made soaps in poorer areas, they rarely have to use the same soap they despise. Other options they say, include using the 'serci' bush, or a sponge grown from plants on their massive land, located in 10 mile, Bull Bay.
RASTAS ARE CLEAN
Whatever method of cleanliness they use, they affirm that Rastas are clean.
Although they are standing by their commercial, WISYNCO says they will be temporarily pulling the advertisement off the air locally, in light of the complaints.
"This is an international campaign, and this is the first complaint we have had from any of the markets. WISYNCO is a sensitive company, and based on this complaint, we are now taking steps to have the ad pulled until we have met internally on the matter," said Lawson-Lue.
But Lawson-Lue says that it is unfair for them to be asked to make a public apology, as the portrayal of a Rastafarian in the commercial was simply a misconception of the viewing public.
"We regret that the advertisement was seen in that way, but it is not a portrayal of Rastafarians ... We pulled the ad to facilitate the negative reaction," she said.
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