When branding is successful, a product transcends its own reality as a mere consumer good becoming something more—an icon. A symbol which represents a complex array of memories and emotions when its visage is invoked. In the case of the Atlanta-based Coca-Cola Company, over one-hundred years of marketing have transformed a simple carbonated concoction of caramel-colored syrup into a globally recognizable representation of the American way. Now operating in more than two-hundred countries and spending $7 million per day on advertising, Coke has become emblematic of the very essence of American life. The Coca-Cola Company’s CEO, Neville Isdell, claims the fundamental nature of the Coke brand is it “is a decent thing, honestly made.” Unfortunately, much like American culture, a glimpse beneath the glamour of glossy PR reveals an underbelly of seedy business practices that fly in the face of common conceptions. Today, allegations of human rights violations in Columbia and egregious environmental practices in India are tarnishing this nostalgic American icon. […]