
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: THURSDAY, May 24, 1990                   TAG: 9005240083
SECTION: BUSINESS                    PAGE: C-6   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: Associated Press
DATELINE: ATLANTA                                LENGTH: Short

COKE PROMOTION LOSES FIZZ WHEN PRIZE CANS WON'T POP

The Coca-Cola Co.'s "MagiCan" promotion has left a bad taste in some consumers' mouths, so the soft drink maker ran full-page newspaper advertisements Wednesday to boost the $100 million campaign.

Ads in many of the nation's large newspapers told customers to "Take A Good Look" at their cans of Coca-Cola Classic. Randomly chosen cans of Coke, without any special markings, contain no cola and are equipped with a mechanism that is designed to eject a prize when the can is opened.

But Coke officials said "a very small number" of the cans are defective, failing to pop the prize. Some also are leaking the chlorinated water that is used to make the unopened prize cans feel like regular Cokes.

Randy Donaldson, a spokesman for Coca-Cola, said the company has received 22 complaints since the promotion began May 7. He stressed that the water in the prize cans, though it tastes bad, is harmless.

The quick damage-control initiative recalled the company's now-legendary marketing blunder when it retired, and later reintroduced, the classic formula of its flagship drink, Coca-Cola.

The ads explain how the MagiCans work, warn consumers against drinking the water and include a toll-free telephone number to report bad cans.

Coke is distributing a quarter-million of the prize cans in its summer promotion. Prizes include cash - up to $200 - and certificates good for such things as tickets to theme parks and sporting events.

by CNB