- calendar_today August 23, 2025
Fans Demand V Cancel Coca-Cola Deal Over Palestine Solidarity
BTS’s new face of Coca-Cola Zero in South Korea is member Kim Taehyung (better known to the fans as V), is facing a ton of flak from the netizens and the boycotting fans on SNS for his new deal with the multi-billion-dollar company. The star, who was announced as the representative of Coca-Cola Zero’s latest marketing on July 31, has been the target of numerous fans and critics who deemed his partnership to be “tone deaf” and “deeply disappointing” due to the ongoing genocide in Gaza.
As part of the latest #BestCokeEver marketing promotion by Coca-Cola Korea, the country’s bureau of the international beverage and carbonated drinks brand released a set of grand visuals that ended with a major announcement, namely, BTS’ V stepping in for the representatives from his HYBE label, the girl group NewJeans. While it is not a new sight for mega K-pop artists to be enlisted as brand ambassadors for major business franchises, the choice of endorser for Coca-Cola Zero’s latest marketing effort has proven to be the incendiary political and socio-cultural point.
The Controversy Surrounding BTS’ V and His Brand New Ad Campaign
What makes the recent signing a contentious one is its clash with BTS’s previously well-known public image and advocacies as a group. As an international sensation whose members often vocalized support for minorities as well as equal rights for all, the boy band has made it a point to air their stand on discrimination against Asians on more than one occasion.
It did not take long before BTS’ perceived support for social justice and human rights issues for to them being spotlighted by pro-Palestine crowds for not having voiced their opinions on the state of Israel and the genocide in Gaza as yet. The awareness of the overlooked silence from BTS members on the said crisis came in shortly after V was spotted as the featured endorser for Coca-Cola Zero. V has also been an unsuspecting target of prior, albeit not on the same scale, criticisms as a top K-pop celebrity for unwittingly participating in advertisements with big companies with heavy ties to Israel.
Last year, the same member of BTS was in the spot for simply showing off his burger from McDonald’s while surrounded by a handful of fries on his palm and holding it out in front of the camera. As such, his latest work as an endorser for Coca-Cola Zero has proven to be, in the eyes of international fans and BTS’ ARMYs, one major step up from the company’s string of controversies.
The Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) supporters, who have turned against BTS in the back-and-forths about the alleged insensitivity and “silence” of the group on issues regarding the state of Israel, have pointed out the presence of the said American company’s substantial business operation on the occupied land for several years now.
With allegations ranging from turning a blind eye to profiteering and complete oversight in Israel, as well as being involved in the alleged genocide, Coca-Cola Korea received heavy backlash last month for an advertisement released to its Bangladesh branches, who categorically denied all ties with Israel. It was immediately questioned by activist users and replaced with actual evidence as to the company’s complete incorporation of Coca-Cola Israel, which sources from WhoProfits, has reportedly been manufacturing in illegal settlements in the West Bank.
Results from WhoProfits, a research center that continuously spotlights international brands for their unethical operations in Israeli-occupied Palestinian territories, revealed that the company has had its operation based on facilities from Coca-Cola Israel, with its Tabor Winery operating vineyards from the occupied territories in the West Bank and Syria Golan Heights.
As such, Coca-Cola has been a regular target of pro-Palestine boycott campaigns from the BDS and its supporters in the last year alone. For fans who have thrown full support and even money at the coffee shop chain and other brands run by BTS members, V’s involvement with a company has been enraging and atrocious.
Fans Blast BTS’ V for Signing The Coca-Cola Zero Endorsement Deal
With international attention at the forefront, the speed at which netizens have dug up alleged indiscretions from V and the group itself as a whole is indeed impressive. With the Twitter hashtag #boycottCocaColaZero currently garnering and spreading negative connotations, the massive backlash against BTS’ V for his newly acquired position as the face of Coca-Cola Zero in South Korea is only growing.
On a post from an Instagram user, the visual content of which has been circulating on Twitter as well, the statement that has been released said:
“Dear Taehyung BTS, Coca Cola has been operating on the stolen land of the Palestinians, some of whom are your ARMY. Please don’t work with and promote its products. Please educate yourself. Cancel the endorsement and stand with humanity.”
The message had since drawn more retorts and unhidden disappointment for not only BTS’ V but also for the group as a collective whole for not publicly voicing out their stand and call to end the ongoing genocide and violence in Gaza.
