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1st November 2017
08:31pm GMT
Halloween is over, the frost has arrived and Grafton Street is looking festive. Everything is starting to slot into place for that magical run up to the best time of the year.
One of the biggest symbols of Christmas for many is the Coca Cola truck made famous by the TV ads. I genuinely think that for many it could be the greatest TV ad ever, alongside the likes of some of the Guinness classics and the more recent John Lewis spots.
I don't think I'm exaggerating to say this ad gives many a warm fuzzy feeling inside and a nostalgic pang of happiness. That's what really good advertising is meant to do...
All well and good, until the news today that the 'fun police' have decided to start protesting against the famous truck and are calling for it to be banned. All to do with sugar, obesity and poor health of youngsters which are issues we all know about at this stage seeing as we've just had a sugar tax levied here in Ireland.
I've never heard anything as ridiculous in my life. What's next? Banning Santa Claus because he has a poor BMI? Introducing sweet potato instead of roasties for better lower carbs? Insisting on a treadmill beside the dinner table?
Why don't they just ask for a blanket ban on Advent calendars, tins of Celebrations and stuffing in the turkey and be done with it all.
Apparently the @cocacola truck is the reason there are fat kids in #Liverpool ????♂️ #WarOnChristmas #CocaColaTruck https://t.co/hClxaBCgf0
— Peter C. Barnes (@Barnesy19) October 31, 2017
Like many people I don't drink Coke but I bloody love the truck. I love it as much as Chris Rea's Driving home for Christmas or watching Only Fools And Horses on Christmas day.
I'm well aware that it's a marketing ploy by a huge multi national company and I'm fine with that. I see advertising for bad food and unhealthy life choices all day every day. You can't miss them. They're not driving the truck up to people's front door and force feeding them cans of Coke though, are they?
Responsible parents will make sure their kids are doing things in moderation anyway. Maybe we all deserve a 2 litre bottle of Coke on the Christmas table. Life is there for living.
The only logical thing I can think of doing with these idiotic protesters is bringing out a water cannon behind the truck and dousing them all with Coca Cola. There's plenty wrongs in the world that need to be righted at the moment but for God sake leave the truck alone. It's no biggie.
