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As Ronald Reagan [9] loved to remark, "There they go again." WWF [10], the corporate-funded environmental giant often accused of taking greenbacks in return for greenwashing [11] its corporate benefactors, has a new partner. WWF and the Coca-Cola Company [12] proclaimed a "bold partnership" [13] that has Coke paying WWF US$20 million. WWF touts the deal on its website [14]. A full-page New York Times advertisement announcing the deal is headlined "This is our drop," a phrase that Coke has trademarked. For Coke, $20 million is just a drop in the bucket, a cheap fee for the PR boost from its WWF partnership. Other companies giving money to and receiving the blessings of WWF include Alcoa [15], Altria Group [16], Walt Disney Company [17], and dozens more listed on the WWF website [18]. To understand why Coke might need greenwashing, read our SourceWatch article on Coca-Cola [19].
Links:
[1] http://dev.prwatch.org/users/4/john-stauber
[2] http://dev.prwatch.org/topics/corporations/corporate-campaigns
[3] http://dev.prwatch.org/topics/marketing/cause-related-marketing
[4] http://dev.prwatch.org/topics/corporations/corporate-social-responsibility
[5] http://dev.prwatch.org/topics/public-relations/third-party-technique
[6] http://dev.prwatch.org/topics/environment
[7] http://dev.prwatch.org/topics/international
[8] http://www.addtoany.com/share_save?linkurl=http%3A%2F%2Fdev.prwatch.org%2Fspin%2F2007%2F06%2F6123%2Fwwf-greenwashes-coca-cola&linkname=WWF%20Greenwashes%20Coca-Cola
[9] http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Ronald_Reagan
[10] http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/WWF
[11] http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/greenwashing
[12] http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Coca-Cola_Company
[13] http://www.csrwire.com/News/8770.html
[14] http://www.worldwildlife.org/business/companies/TCCC/
[15] http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Alcoa
[16] http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Altria_Group
[17] http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Walt_Disney_Company
[18] http://www.worldwildlife.org/involved/partners/corporate1.cfm
[19] http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Coca-Cola
[20] http://www.ens-newswire.com/ens/jun2007/2007-06-05-07.asp