Coke cans go red, white and blue for Memorial Day.
The soda brand will start selling its limited-edition patriotic cans over Memorial Day weekend to honor the nation’s Armed Forces and the 75th founding anniversary of the United Service Organizations (USO).
Coke was a founding partner of the organization during World War II, a time when U.S. companies provided fun and entertainment to soldiers back home to help erase the horrors of the war.
“Since the organization's very beginning in 1941, the USO has been near and dear to us. Our relationship is now part of our heritage, our DNA,” said Erika von Heiland Strader, Coca-Cola North America’s community marketing director.
The special design appears on select 16-ounce Coke cans and value packs, and will be available nationwide until July 4. It features a wavy flag, the two partners’ logo and the classic “I’m Proud To Be An American” song lyric.
Coke also partnered with USO to send 1 million messages of support to the country’s military service members and their families through “Campaign to Connect.” Here, users can click the “Send a Message” icon to participate or read up on the longstanding partnership between the company and the USO.
It emphasized the campaign’s importance in light of a recent survey that revealed that 90 percent of service members feel the U.S. public does not understand their sacrifices, while 37 percent felt they are not being appreciated.
The “Share a Coke and a Song” campaign also kicked off at the Coca-Cola 600 Nascar race this weekend, a gathering expected to be attended by more than 6,000 service men and women.
USO chair and retired general George W. Casey serves as the Grand Marshal of the Charlotte Motor Speedway event as the sponsor’s guest.
Coca-Cola is among companies who have adopted U.S.-themed packaging. The roster includes Anheuser-Busch, which has rebranded its Budweiser beer into “America” through the November presidential election.
