WHAT DOES COCA-COLA MEAN TO YOU? -«POP»

The idea of a mega-corporation offering up one of the world's most famous trademarks - the iconic Coke bottle - as a blank canvas to native artists seems like it might have been a tough sell. But at a press conference yesterday at which representations of Coke bottles by four West Coast aboriginal artists were unveiled, Nicola Kettlitz said Coca-Cola executives didn't hesitate when the company's Olympic project team proposed the pop bottle project."It was actually a very easy idea to sell," said Mr. Kettlitz, general manager of the project team. The idea of asking aboriginal artists to create works based on the Coke bottle emerged just as the Beijing Summer Games were winding down. Coca-Cola, the longest running corporate sponsor of the Olympics with a track record that goes back to 1928, was looking for a way to make a mark in Vancouver.

-The Globe & Mail
Jan 15 20090