Healthy Auckland Together challenged an ad featuring a vintage style Santa Claus riding in a car holding two bottles of Coca-Cola (one labeled "No Sugar") giving a peace sign and stating, "It feels good to give." The ad was placed in a bus stop in New Zealand in a location where many children stop on their way to and from school. Coca-Cola countered that the ad was designed to appeal to families rather than children.
The New Zealand Advertising Standards Authority ("ASA") code provides that advertising for occasional food or beverage products (such as sugary drinks) may not target children or be placed in any media where children are likely to be a significant portion of the expected average audience.
Because the ASA found that the ad had a strong appeal to children, and that it would be seen by a younger audience, the ASA said that the ad violated its code.
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