BBC to plug Coca Cola

Why?

Coca Cola as a globally known brand, why do they need to advertise at all?

You've been reading the Guardian too much.

I ask again, how is this any different to Barclaycard's sponsorship of the Premiership?

I don't think that is really the case, I just think nowadays with so much commercialism, sponsorship deals etc, its hard for an organisation the size of the BBC to avoid it... its obvious that if an event is going to be popular, companies will want to be involved with it i.e. thru sponsorship. Likewise, an organisation like the BBC which has a huge scope and appeal, will want to screen or play it... and there is the clash.

I think the BBC is immensely anti-commercial in its activities, as much now as it always have been.

Well they seem to do plenty of it. I don't believe the BBC brokered a deal with Barclaycard to mention the name so many times per programme did they ?

I somehow doubt that.

It is just a sign that the thin end of the wedge is no longer so thin anymore.

Sponsorship messages cannot be that far behind now.

There are also guidelines within the BBC about featuring brands during output.

They quite rightly state that often by making a fuss and refusing to feature something will in actual fact give that brand a lot more "free" publicity in the ensuing argument/reasoning.

For example, if the BBC kicked up a fuss and said it wasn't going to use the Coca-cola name during the show, Coke would then kick up an even bigger fuss (perhaps in the courts). This would no doubt be featured in news bulletins/papers across the country which would undermine the whole reason for kicking up a fuss in the first place...

I belive another example was the Orange Bafta awards or something similar - i cannot remember exactly... but again its the name of the event not the BBC coverage that is being sponsored.

I dont remember anyone complaining then.. so what is SO different this time?

Getting a reallly strange sense of De Ja Vu.... acouple of years ago exactly the same fuss happened when Worldpop did the same.

Lets hope that CocaCola ends up the same as Worldpop!

Everyone seems to forget The Benson & Hedges Masters, The Smash Hits Awards, cricket from the Fosters Oval etc etc

I can see ILR and ITV being very very pished off with this if this was to happen.

This reminds me of Eddie Izzard taking the p*ss out of "The Labbatts Apollo" ... !

V funny !

Exactly - there is no difference between the charts being sponsored by Worldpop or Coca Cola. AIUI the Beeb are just confirming that there will be a maximum of two on-air references to the sponsor in the programme - in line with the duration of the show and the BBC producer guidelines.

The charts are being sponsored, not the programme which is just reporting the results...