Monday, February 19, 2007

Things go better with..... we don't got that.


Let me tell you a true story.
Recently, I went to a "Mom & Pop" corner store in my neighborhood to purchase a refreshing carbonated beverage. In the freezer section, was the usual Coke refrigerator, you know, the one with the plastic replica of the 50's bottle as a handle. I know, I know....."The Dirty Waters of Capitalism" as someone once said - which may be true, but it's also so damned refreshing.
Inside was a veritable cornucopia of varieties of Coke - Cherry Coke, Coke with Lime, Coke Zero, Diet Coke, Coke Blak (that's the one with coffee in it) and so on. All except one.
No regular old-fashioned (as is now referred to "Classic") Coke. After a brief look around I inquired of the shopkeeper was I just not seeing it. In another freezer perhaps? No.
"We're out!"

For some reason, I feel this whole experience is somehow symptomatic, and possibly emblematic of some of the problems we all face in this over-hyped consumer landscape we are forced to navigate through each day.
Maybe it's a little early in the day for me (just after 8.00 AM), but I can't quite come up with the pithy little closing "zinger" to this true tale that wraps it up with a nice little bow.

So I didn't get what I wanted, big deal. It will probably help build some character. Still, I can't help but feel like I almost fell victim to the old "Bait & Switch" routine. I mean, if they call themselves "Coca-Cola Global" how come they can't get a bottle of it into my corner store?



I also like this collection of cans from around the world featured here . So, i'm sorry that there's no real conclusion to the post - no wrap-up, no punchline. It's just that this happened last week and i'm still kind of pondering as to the significance of all this (if any).
web statistics
Since August 2005 - Free Site Counter