Coca-Cola suspends advertising for Yolanda relief

Coca-Cola Philippines will be suspending advertisements for all products in the country to earmark its ad budget for relief efforts in the Visayas devastated by Super Typhoon Yolanda.All Coca-Cola ads for its range of products will be off-air starting 18 November. Any committed advertising space will be redirected towards relief and rebuilding efforts for Yolanda survivors, the company said in a statement.Current creative and media planning agencies McCann Erickson and Starcom MediaVest Group has yet to confirm when the suspension will be lifted. As one of the island nation’s biggest advertisers, Marketing understands that Coca-Cola’s donation out from the move could easily be millions.“Thousands of Filipinos across the region still cry for aid and relief. The needs of so many are far greater than any individual, corporation or institution can provide. And it is only through a collective effort that we can truly make a difference in the lives of our affected fellow Filipinos,” Coca-Cola adds.So far, the company donated more than US$2.5 million in cash and in-kind contributions to support disaster relief and recovery efforts in the Philippines.