Educational Media Reviews Online

Coke’s Water Bomb does an outstanding job of detailing one of the most notorious marketing debacles of all time. Eager to gain ground on PepsiCo’s Aquafina brand, Coca-Cola introduced Dasani “purified” bottled water in Europe in 2003. With a lack of keenness to Europe’s desire for natural mineral water and its revulsion of consumption of tap water, Coca-Cola marketed Dasani, filtered tap water with added minerals for taste. Dasani had prospered in American markets and Coca-Cola wished to continue this success in Europe. When Europeans learned that Dasani came from a public water supply in England, disparaging headlines were splashed across European newspapers. In addition, European consumers questioned Coca-Cola’s labeling Dasani as “purified, still water.” To make matters even worse, carcinogens were found in Dasani water. Coca-Cola promptly pulled Dasani from European store shelves.

Through interviews and newspaper clips, the audience is presented with Coca-Cola’s misconceptions and a simple portrayal of Europeans’ desire to drink water from the ground, not “from a factory.” Despite the pointedness of the topic, the documentary makes neither an exceptionally acrid nor “tongue in cheek” treatment of the topic. Several Coca-Cola executives are interviewed and admit their company’s gross errors. Their candor serves the documentary well. This documentary is highly recommended to audiences high school age and higher as a sound examination of a monumental marketing blunder. Through a demonstration of the consequences, marketing students may learn the value of cultural awareness and target market research.