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Soft Drink Politics: 'Mecca Cola' Takes Off In France
CNSNews.com ^ | April 30, 2003 | Eva Cahen

Posted on 04/30/2003 2:00:55 PM PDT by Tailgunner Joe

While some people express anti-U.S. sentiment through terrorist attacks or noisy demonstrations, a Tunisian-born French businessman has created a soft-drink company whose aim is to protest America's foreign policy.

Tawfiq Mathlouti launched his company, the Mecca Cola Beverage Company, last November in Paris. He touts his soft drink as an alternative to Coca Cola and Pepsi Cola and says it's primarily a "political product."

To date, Mathlouti has sold 14 million 1.5-liter bottles in supermarkets and grocery stores in Europe, the Middle East and even some African nations, and he said he has orders for 600 million liters through the end of December.

"It is a political product, which is using a commercial support platform," Mathlouti said. "It is an act of political protest against American-Zionist crimes. We are very angry at American policy."

A new Mecca Cola factory in the Moroccan city of Casablanca is due to go into full production in June. Each bottle of the soft drink says, in the local language: "No more drinking stupid, drink with commitment" and "Don't shake me, shake your conscience."

Mathlouti gives 20 percent of his net profits to charities, including 10 percent to organizations helping Palestinian children and 10 percent to local charities in the countries where the sales originate.

Nicholas O'Shaughnessy, professor of communications and marketing at the University of Keele in Britain and an expert on propaganda, said Mecca Cola's marketing techniques are a completely new kind of protest that could be more than just a passing trend.

"It is taking over the system of consumer signification and giving it a political meaning. Nobody has exploited the politics of the consumer before," O'Shaughnessy said.

"The special feature is the particular message which is being conveyed: that we're not anti-West. This is a political protest against America, not a rejection of Western culture. It's saying, 'we like your culture but we don't like your politics.'"

Mathlouti confirmed that view.

"We are taking what's best in American culture and we are fighting them with that. We don't have hatred or a rejection of the West," he said. "We have an immeasurable hatred for American policy."

Mathlouti described American policy as "based on crime, segregation and the exploitation of others, and of plundering, and theft."

He was equally vocal in his criticism of Israel's government.

"Zionism is a criminal and racist ideology close to Nazism, which I will fight without stopping," he said.

"But that has nothing to do with being Jewish or not being Jewish because that's an old accusation, saying that if we are against Israel we are against the Jews. We are not against the Jews. There are many Jews who are against Israel, against Zionism, against crimes," he said.

Mathlouti has even sold a container of Mecca Cola to a distributor in Detroit and said that discussions are currently underway for expanded distribution in various U.S. states.

Since Mecca Cola's introduction last year, start-ups have launched other political sodas including Qibla Cola in Britain and Muslim Up in France.

As to the future, while some have contemplated the possibilities of other "Mecca"-branded products, Mathlouti said it is too early to discuss that.

However, he said would like to expand Mecca Cola to Latin America, specifically to Venezuela and Argentina, where he believes his product will appeal to wide anti-American sentiment.

"We will dethrone Pepsi and Coca Cola from all the other countries that are fed up with American hegemony, and not only Muslim countries," he said.


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Culture/Society; Foreign Affairs; Front Page News; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: cola; france; meccacola; parisriots; rop
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1 posted on 04/30/2003 2:00:55 PM PDT by Tailgunner Joe
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To: Tailgunner Joe
His largest market could be in Hollywood.
2 posted on 04/30/2003 2:03:35 PM PDT by Russ
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To: Tailgunner Joe
Mathlouti has even sold a container of Mecca Cola to a distributor in Detroit and said that discussions are currently underway for expanded distribution in various U.S. states.

That'll last. If I see this garbage on a shelf, I'll be walking out of the store with a pocketful of Mecca-Cola caps.

3 posted on 04/30/2003 2:05:19 PM PDT by wideawake (Support our troops and their Commander-in-Chief)
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To: Tailgunner Joe
I am gonna have a laugh when we find out that Mecca cola is owned by Jews :P
4 posted on 04/30/2003 2:05:24 PM PDT by BrooklynGOP
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To: Tailgunner Joe
The left again defines not what they are for or what they offer but by being against. This is of course capitalism.
5 posted on 04/30/2003 2:07:17 PM PDT by longtermmemmory
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To: BrooklynGOP
Coke will just buy him out.
6 posted on 04/30/2003 2:08:52 PM PDT by CollegeRepublican
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To: Tailgunner Joe
Most products made with political intent are of sub-par quality in the idea that ideology will trump any flaws. However, some people are willing to overlook that to support a cause.

A gay friend of mine reports that Pride Beer -- a beer marketed specifically towards the homosexual community -- was the worst beer he's ever tried. But (checking the Internet) it's still on the market, after several years, so politics can make sales.
7 posted on 04/30/2003 2:09:50 PM PDT by Celtjew Libertarian
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To: CollegeRepublican
Spread a rumour that Mecca cola is owned by Jews who add pork products into it and he is done :~)
8 posted on 04/30/2003 2:12:46 PM PDT by BrooklynGOP
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To: Celtjew Libertarian
A gay friend of mine reports that Pride Beer -- a beer marketed specifically towards the homosexual community -- was the worst beer he's ever tried. But (checking the Internet) it's still on the market, after several years, so politics can make sales.

Reminds me of an old Saturday Night Live fake commercial. Schmitt's Gay. The song that was played in the song was the guitar into to Van Halen's "Beautiful Girls". Go figure.

9 posted on 04/30/2003 2:13:14 PM PDT by Dan from Michigan ("I have two guns. One for each of ya." - Doc Holliday)
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To: Celtjew Libertarian
A gay friend of mine reports that Pride Beer -- a beer marketed specifically towards the homosexual community -- was the worst beer he's ever tried. But (checking the Internet) it's still on the market, after several years, so politics can make sales.

Reminds me of an old Saturday Night Live fake commercial. Schmitt's Gay Beer. The song that was played in the ad was the guitar into to Van Halen's "Beautiful Girls". Go figure.

10 posted on 04/30/2003 2:13:32 PM PDT by Dan from Michigan ("I have two guns. One for each of ya." - Doc Holliday)
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To: Celtjew Libertarian
A gay friend of mine reports that Pride Beer -- a beer marketed specifically towards the homosexual community -- was the worst beer he's ever tried. But (checking the Internet) it's still on the market, after several years, so politics can make sales.
There's a sucker born every minute ...
11 posted on 04/30/2003 2:15:38 PM PDT by eastsider
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To: Tailgunner Joe
France, that economic powerhouse, brings out its big gun - a cola you can't drink with booze.
12 posted on 04/30/2003 2:19:21 PM PDT by mabelkitty
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To: eastsider
"Mathlouti gives 20 percent of his net profits to charities, including 10 percent to organizations helping Palestinian children and 10 percent to local charities in the countries where the sales originate."

No way any of this is getting into the hands of terrorists, right? I don't expect anyone will do anything about it either, it's not like we are at war with islamic terrorism or anything.
13 posted on 04/30/2003 2:21:53 PM PDT by Desecrated (A nickel of every tax dollar should go toward the defense of America)
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To: Desecrated
Let's hope that greed keeps the money in Mathlouti's pocket and not in the coffers of the terrorists.
14 posted on 04/30/2003 2:44:50 PM PDT by eastsider
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To: Russ
Wonder if he will have the gall to try to market it in America?
15 posted on 04/30/2003 2:47:13 PM PDT by Warren
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To: Tailgunner Joe
'Mecca Cola' Takes Off In France

This just in: Italian wine Takes off in US.

16 posted on 04/30/2003 3:04:30 PM PDT by Defiant (Iraqtion. That swelling pride that results from raising the staff of freedom.)
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To: Tailgunner Joe
France . . . . The OTHER Muslim Country.
17 posted on 04/30/2003 3:08:31 PM PDT by BenR2 ((John 3:16: Still True Today.))
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To: Tailgunner Joe
Re the Mecca Cola factory in Casablanca... so THAT'S where they put the WMD!!!!

Have any of you ever TASTED those "off-off" brands of cola??? At my local supermarket the kids who do the bagging say those brands taste like gasoline!
18 posted on 04/30/2003 5:28:33 PM PDT by CarmelValleyite
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To: CarmelValleyite
I don't know about the taste, but I heard that Camel Sweat Mecca Cola was Saddam's favorite soft drink.
19 posted on 04/30/2003 5:33:19 PM PDT by Free ThinkerNY (Anti-Warriors are Pro-War on America)))
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To: mabelkitty
The empties do make a mean Molotov cocktail.
20 posted on 04/30/2003 9:56:50 PM PDT by pave palestine
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