The “Kick Big Soda Out!” campaign launched on July 8, 2024 ahead of the 2024 Paris Olympics and ran through the end of the Paralympics. It’s all about holding sugary drinks companies – especially Coca-Cola – accountable for their impact on health and the environment.

To discuss the campaign, Health Policy Watch spoke to Trish Cotter, Global Lead for the Food Policy Program at Vital Strategies.

What is the “Kick Big Soda Out” campaign?

Cotter: Sugary drinks are linked with health issues like Type 2 diabetes, stroke and heart disease. In fact, Type 2 diabetes rates are climbing, with an estimated 537 million adults living with diabetes worldwide and that number is expected to skyrocket to 246 million by 2045. Even further, obesity rates have more than doubled among adults and have quadrupled among kids and teens since 1990. Big Soda companies are also among the biggest plastic polluters and have been caught taking water from communities already struggling to access clean water.

The campaign exposed how Big Soda, through sponsoring events like the Olympics, “sportswashes” away the harm its products cause for public health and the environment by associating them with athletes’ and sports’ greatest moments. The goal was to draw attention to this damaging marketing tactic, and going forward, urge sports organizations to shun the sticky dollars of Big Soda companies and pursue healthier, more sustainable sponsorships.

Who is behind the campaign?

Cotter: “Kick Big Soda Out!” is a movement of almost 100 organizations with the backing of a quarter of a million supporters working to fight Big Soda’s use of sporting events to market unhealthy, environmentally harmful products, especially to kids and teens.

How would you describe the “Kick Big Soda Out” campaign? What were the most significant accomplishments from your perspective?

Cotter: “Kick Big Soda Out!” combined social media outreach, media engagement and grassroots events to end Big Soda’s reign over sport. One of the standout accomplishments of the campaign has been its incredible global resonance. The petition to end Coca-Cola’s Olympic sponsorship garnered over 255,000 signatures from 195 countries, uniting voices from every corner of the world. It also gained the powerful endorsement of 93 organizations, adding their might to end Big Soda’s sport sponsorships. This extraordinary groundswell of support not only showcased the strength of collective action but also cemented the campaign’s impact across public health and environmental communities, making it a true force for change.

Why did the campaign start with targeting the 2024 Summer Olympics, the pinnacle of sporting achievement?

Cotter: For nearly 100 years, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) has given Coca-Cola an unmatched opportunity to sponsor the Olympics and link its brand with fitness and health. This year’s Paris Olympics – estimated to have been watched by over one billion people – provided a prime opportunity to expose how Big Soda leverages such a monumental event to push unhealthy products. It’s a striking and timely example of how sugary drink companies continue to mask their impact on health and the environment.

Why was it important to draw attention specifically to Coca-Cola’s Olympic sponsorship, and what makes this relationship unique?

Cotter: Focusing on Coca-Cola’s Olympic sponsorship was crucial because of the visibility it offers and the Games’ positive image. The long-standing, high-profile nature of Coca-Cola’s sponsorship lets the company market its products to millions, under the guise of “wellness.”

But this is not a new phenomenon. Big Tobacco used to be a leading sponsor of the Olympic Games before evidence showed that cigarette smoking causes lung cancer, emphysema and many other diseases. Just as the companies behind these products were banned from advertising during or sponsoring sporting events, the Olympics’ Big Soda partner should be subject to the same restrictions. Big Soda is the final frontier for sports organizations to sever ties with companies that undeniably harm public health.

It’s also important to spotlight how this partnership has global implications. It gives Coca-Cola executives access to closed door meetings with world leaders and government representatives at the Olympics, enabling them to influence public health policy to protect their profits. It’s this proximity to power that makes this sponsorship deal particularly dangerous.

What strategies did you use to reach and engage different communities and advocates?

Cotter: The “Kick Big Soda Out!” campaign used a variety of strategies to engage diverse communities and empower advocates across the globe. The campaign developed materials that were relevant for different regions and languages, helping ensure that local audiences could easily understand and share the campaign’s messages countering the “sportswashed” image cultivated by Big Soda. Social platforms like Facebook, Instagram and TikTok were key for reaching younger audiences with eye-catching visuals and videos.

Local organizations also hosted events and demonstrations, including one held outside the Mexican Olympic Committee. These grassroots actions helped draw attention to the issues and encouraged engagement and participation.

Education was a big part of the strategy too. The campaign’s materials – fact sheets, backgrounders and social media content – highlighted the health risks of sugary drinks and the environmental damage caused by Big Soda, such as plastic pollution and water exploitation. By linking health and environmental concerns as part of a larger conversation about corporate responsibility, the campaign connected with a wider audience, including groups like Greenpeace.

How do you know if the campaign is working well?

Cotter: The response has been truly remarkable. The participation from diverse sectors underscored the broad appeal of the campaign. Additionally, it quickly spread through social media engagement, reaching over 31 million people and resulting in over 255,000 petition signatures. This momentum clearly shows how effectively the campaign has tapped into people’s opposition to Big Soda’s influence over sports and their desire for change.

Global media outlets also recognized the campaign’s growing influence. Seeing over 430 media mentions—including high-profile op-eds and press releases—confirmed the “Kick Big Soda Out!” mission to bring attention to these pernicious sponsorship deals was extending far beyond the public health and environmental communities. Combined with grassroots support and social media activity, this significant coverage shows how much the campaign succeeded in building this movement. We aim to harness this momentum as the campaign’s supporters continue to put pressure on sporting events to end their relationships with Big Soda.

Have you shared the petition with the IOC?

Cotter: Yes. The IOC rejected the petition by reaffirming its support for its sponsorship deal with Coca-Cola and failing to acknowledge Big Soda’s health and environmental harms.

Since the IOC refused to end its relationship with Coca-Cola, it’s important to call attention to the Coca-Cola Company’s responsible marketing policy, which claims the company does not directly market its products to children under 12. Coca-Cola’s branding could easily be seen throughout the Olympic Games by children of all ages at Olympic venues and on TV broadcasts, digital and social media. While Coca-Cola may claim to not directly target children with its marketing, it is impossible for them to avoid it. The notion that kids were shielded from Coca-Cola’s marketing is absurd and directly contradicts their so-called “responsible” marketing guidelines. It’s clear that any justification for this sponsorship is a weak attempt to placate opponents without major consequences for the soda giant’s bottom line.

Yet, the IOC’s leadership still has an opportunity to re-evaluate their long-standing Coca-Cola partnership. They can lead and clear the way for sponsors that align with the stated Olympic values of health, sustainability and corporate responsibility. The campaign’s organizers and supporters will continue to push a pro-health agenda for the end of Big Soda’s sponsorship of sport, including the Olympics.

How can people see it or continue take part in the campaign?

Cotter: There are plenty of ways to stay involved. Head over to the campaign website (www.kickbigsodaout.org) for updates and resources. While the petition has closed, the website and all “the Kick Big Soda Out!” social media accounts will keep you in the loop about future campaign initiatives.

Are there plans to continue the campaign? If so, what changes do you envision for “Kick Big Soda Out” in the future?

Cotter: Absolutely, this is only the beginning. Like the IOC, “Kick Big Soda Out!” will keep putting pressure on other sports governing bodies to end their sponsorship deals with Big Soda.

There are also many opportunities to tackle sponsorship deals for other unhealthy items, such as ultra-processed products, especially when they target kids and people at risk for poor health. The goal is to create lasting change in how corporations use sport to promote harmful products.

The success of the campaign shows that this movement can continue to grow and push back against corporate influence. “Kick Big Soda Out!” will encourage other global and national campaigns aimed at protecting consumers to explore industry’s unethical marketing tactics like “brand washing” and “sportswashing.” Together, we can put public health and the planet first.

Image Credits: Vital Strategies.