BTS' V aka Kim Taehyung sparks outrage with Coca-Cola collab — throwback to when the brand denied Israel ties in Bangladeshi ad
BTS' V's Coca-Cola collab turns into a controversy
V had been teasing something new for a while, and on July 31, the news dropped. It was announced that he's now the face of Coke Zero in South Korea, replacing his HYBE labelmate NewJeans. The campaign, tagged #BestCokeEver, is run by Coca-Cola Korea, a division handled by LG Household & Health Care.
BTS' V has been announced as Coca Cola's Korea new ambassador for the Coca Cola Zero campaign. pic.twitter.com/uiE9qv801y
But as soon as the announcement hit social media, criticism followed. Fans resurfaced allegations that Coca-Cola profits have supported Israel, a country widely condemned for its role in the Palestinian crisis. The backlash wasn't just about V but a broader condemnation of the brand and its global image. This comes just a day after fans called out BTS' Jungkook, who was seen holding a Starbucks coffee, another brand tied to Israel.
Fans highlight why BTS' V's campaign is controversial
Social media was filled with posts calling out both Coca-Cola and the Rainy Days singer. Many accused the company of operating on land taken from Palestinians and highlighted that some of those impacted are BTS fans themselves. The #BoycottCoke campaign reemerged, with graphics and posts citing Coca-Cola's alleged complicity in Israeli war crimes.
One viral campaign referenced findings by WhoProfits, which state that Coca-Cola Israel operates facilities in the Atarot Settlement Industrial Zone and that its Tabor Winery sources grapes from occupied territories in the West Bank and Syrian Golan.
V from BTS posting and openly promoting a boycotted brand Coca-Cola which funding the genocide in Gaza.Karma is your true enemy. https://t.co/9GT07HBWea pic.twitter.com/XdSmmKN02H
Fans plead with BTS to reconsider partnerships
Messages directed at BTS members, particularly V and Jungkook, have been widely shared, urging them to stop supporting brands listed on boycott trackers. One post reads, 'Dear Taehyung BTS, Jungkook BTS, Coca-Cola and Starbucks have been placed on the official boycott list. Please stop buying brands that support genocide. Show empathy for Palestinians.'
In defence of V, some fans pointed out that Coca-Cola Korea has been managed by a Korean company since 2007. The firm oversees all production, marketing, and operations locally. They argue that profits remain within the Korean economy and that the brand's Korean division is structurally and financially separate from the U.S.-based Coca-Cola Company.
Dear #V @BTS_twtCoca Cola has been operating on the stolen land of the Palestinians, some of whose are your ARMYs. Pls don't work with and promote its products.#Taehyung, please educate yourself, cancel the endorsement & stand with humanity! 💜 🕊 pic.twitter.com/zo7xBbhE15
‼️STOP BUYING THE ZIONIST BRAND‼️Dear Taehyung BTS, Jungkook BTSCoca-Cola and Starbucks has been placed on the official boycott list.Please stop buying brands that support genocide and stop working with questionable people. Show empathy for the Palestinians. @BTS_twt https://t.co/ON8Tpp24uN pic.twitter.com/JXmcDzWIkJ
When Coca-Cola denied its Israeli connection with a Bangladeshi ad
In early 2024, Coca-Cola tried to fight against boycott pressure by releasing a 60-second TV and social media ad in Bangladesh. The ad aimed to dispel what the company called 'misinformation' about its alleged Israeli ties.
Since the escalation of violence in Gaza starting in 2023, Coca-Cola has faced declining sales across Muslim-majority countries. Consumers were calling for boycotts against brands believed to support Israel. With a massive drop in sales, Coca-Cola rushed to repair its image in key markets, starting with Bangladesh.
The ad shows a shopkeeper offering a Coke to a hesitant customer who hints at boycotting the brand over alleged ties to Israel. The shopkeeper insists the rumor is false, citing Coca-Cola's presence in countries like Turkey and Palestine. But critics in Bangladesh weren't convinced, calling the ad tone-deaf and dismissive of legitimate concerns.
Coming back to V, while the BTS star is known for his philanthropy, including a donation to the Save the Children Foundation for Gaza, his recent endorsement has unsettled parts of BTS' global fandom.
For all the latest K-drama, K-pop, and Hallyuwood updates, keep following our coverage here.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Time of India
7 hours ago
- Time of India
From Seoul with love: Korean man speaks in fluent Bhojpuri to Korean people, internet is impressed!
Credit: Instagram A South Korean content creator has won hearts online after posting a wholesome video of himself teaching Bhojpuri to a group of Korean learners. The creator, Yechan C. Lee, is seen leading a cheerful classroom session that even includes children, guiding them through basic Bhojpuri greetings with energy and warmth. This video was shared by the Korean content creator @40kahani on Instagram and it begins with Lee introducing the lesson: "How to have four basic conversations in India. When we meet someone for the first time, we say hello. In India, we say, 'ka ho?' Very nice, very nice." His enthusiasm sets the tone as the group excitedly repeats each phrase, doing their best to follow his pronunciation. As the lesson continues, Lee adds, "When we meet that same person again, then we say, how have you been? In India, we say, 'ka hal ba?' Amazing. Okay, now we have to reply. We say, 'theek ba?' Fantastic. So sad, but we have to say goodbye to our friend. How do we say goodbye in India? 'Khush Raho.'" The group repeats each line in sync, turning the classroom into a joyful celebration of language and connection. Shared with the caption, "Teaching Bhojpuri to Korean kids #korean #kdrama #bhojpuri #bihar. Had a lovely opportunity to share my journey as a YouTube creator with Korean kids and also make a short video teaching them Bhojpuri," the clip has already crossed 3 lakh views across social media. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like The bestselling summer sandal of 2025 is finally back HikeCare Undo Reactions poured in from all over, with viewers celebrating the beautiful cultural exchange. One user wrote, "This is so wholesome. Bhojpuri being taught in Korea feels surreal." Another said, "Love how these kids are picking up the words so naturally. Beautiful to watch." A third commented, "India's linguistic richness reaching Korea. Amazing effort." Others shared more emotional responses. "Yechan is doing what many of us dream of—spreading our culture in such a lovely way," said one viewer. Another added, "As a Bhojpuri speaker, this brought tears to my eyes. Thank you." Someone else noted, "This is the kind of global connection we need. So refreshing and heartening." In a world that often feels divided by caste, region, language, this simple video is a reminder of how small gestures can build bridges. Who would have thought about a Korean man speaking Bhojpuri? That is the beauty of languages and cultures.
Mint
9 hours ago
- Mint
Saiyaara Box Office Collection Day 17: Mohit Suri's film earnings surge on Sunday, mints THIS amount
Saiyaara Box Office Collection Day 17: After 16 days of release, Mohit Suri's latest romantic film, starring newcomers Ahaan Panday and Aneet Padda, is ruling the box office. Saiyaara earned nearly ₹ 291 crore in the last 16 days. According to trade industry tracker Sacnilk, Saiyaara earned an estimated ₹ 5.11 crore India net on Sunday, August 3, at the box office, marking a significant surge since Friday. Saiyaara had an overall 31.72% Hindi Occupancy on Sunday. The Ahaan Pandey-starrer film opened to ₹ 21.5 crore. On Friday, Day 15, the film earned ₹ 4.5 crore. The total collection of Saiyaara now stands at ₹ 296.86 crore (India Net), according to Sacnilk data. Saiyaara collected over ₹ 460 crore worldwide in 16 days, including ₹ 291.75 crore India net and ₹ 110 crore from overseas. Speaking on the Saiyaara box office collection, film trade analyst Taran Adarsh wrote on X, 'continues its dream run… The film has crossed the ₹ 💯 cr mark in *Week 2* [Friday to Wednesday], reflecting its strong hold at the box-office. It is now eyeing a ₹ 285 cr [+/-] total by the end of Week 2.' In another post on X, Adarsh noted, '#Saiyaara continues its strong run on Tuesday, hitting double digits yet again… The discounted ticket pricing initiative has certainly helped drive footfalls.' However, the film's collection has been impacted by Ashwin Kumar's mythological animated film, Mahavatar Narsimha that released on July 25, 2025. Saiyaara is a romantic musical drama film directed by Mohit Suri. Produced by Yash Raj Films, it stars debutants Ahaan Panday and Aneet Padda along with Geeta Agarwal, Rajesh Kumar, and Varun Badola. The film is loosely inspired by the 2004 Korean movie A Moment To Remember. IMDb describes plot of Saiyaara as, 'Vaani (Aneet Padda) and Krish (Ahaan Pandey) will have to navigate life, their problems, their insecurities to hopefully realise that only love can be the answer to everything.'
Indian Express
10 hours ago
- Indian Express
The inescapable Sydney Sweeney
Sydney Sweeney is everywhere. She's smiling while holding up a face cream in an ad on the subway and pops up when customers are placing orders at Baskin Robbins. She's taking awkward selfies with the latest Samsung flip phone or trying to convince you that pink fuzzy loafers are cool. She sells her bath water, and most recently, she's in an advertisement that's been making news for touting her great genes and jeans on a billboard in Times Square. The latter arrived a week ago in the form of an American Eagle campaign for jeans that makes a pun on the notion that Sweeney won the genetic lottery. The ad, which quickly took off online, set off controversy when some social media users felt it veered uncomfortably close to promotion of eugenics and the glorification of whiteness. It has also been decried for its sexually suggestive nature and for catering to the 'male gaze.' It's unclear how much input, if any, Sweeney had on the end result. That hasn't stopped social media users from commenting on the ad — and Sweeney's involvement — online. Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, accused left-leaning audiences of being 'against beautiful women,' and Doja Cat, the rapper, posted a video on TikTok parodying Sweeney's speech. American Eagle, on Friday afternoon, in an attempt to address the backlash, posted a statement on Instagram declaring the campaign 'is and always was about the jeans.' Sweeney did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Outside of the brouhaha this ad has stirred up, Sweeney is best known for her roles as the emotionally vulnerable Cassie in 'Euphoria' and the condescending Olivia in 'The White Lotus.' She has also become one of the most in-demand faces for fashion, beauty and lifestyle brands. She's an ambassador for half a dozen labels: Miu Miu, Armani Beauty, the 'antioxidant infused' water brand Bai, the Korean skin care label Laneige, the hair care brand Kérastase and the loafer brand HeyDude. Why does an actress who has two Emmy Award nominations and has been featured in a number of films and TV shows — including the hit rom-com 'Anyone But You,' which brought in over $200 million worldwide — need to lend her face to so many brands? 'If I just acted, I wouldn't be able to afford my life in LA,' Sweeney told The Hollywood Reporter in 2022. 'I take deals because I have to. They don't pay actors like they used to, and with streamers, you no longer get residuals.' The issue of actors' compensation came into focus during the 2023 Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists strike, which was intended partly to pressure studios to increase compensation for actors in films and TV shows on streaming platforms. According to 2023 data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median wage for an actor in the United States was $20.50 per hour. Sweeney is certainly making more than that, but, she told The Hollywood Reporter, paying her lawyer, agents, business manager and publicist comes at a cost that is 'more than my mortgage.' 'It seems like she's not ashamed or embarrassed by promoting all of these different projects,' said Priya Rao, the executive editor of The Business of Beauty at The Business of Fashion. 'Historically, celebrities were taught it was tacky to do too much, to be everywhere all at once.' But in the attention economy, younger stars are capitalizing on their 15 minutes of fame before the trend cycle moves on to something or someone else, Rao added. Sweeney also seems to embody a malleable quality. 'She's able to be in Armani Beauty and be aspirational there,' Rao said. 'She's able to be friendly and a girl next door with Laneige. And then here, with American Eagle, she's able to kind of be both sexy and relatable, because American Eagle is a regular all-American Gen Z-loved brand.' For the body care label Dr. Squatch, the fact that Sweeney had worked with a number of other brands was not a deterrent. 'Sydney brings a really strong perspective to all of the brand relationships she has, and she actually vets them a lot,' said John Ludeke, Dr. Squatch's senior vice president of global marketing. Ludeke said Sweeney had been 'very involved' in establishing the creative concepts for her campaigns to ensure they would resonate with the brand's audience while feeling unique to her. He confirmed that Sweeney is no longer actively working with Dr. Squatch. But consumers like Olivia Stent, 25, a paralegal based in Chicago, may have seen enough. She expected that actors from 'Euphoria' would become brand names, but she said Sweeney had 'marketed herself so much.' Companies, however, are seeing results in their bottom lines. American Eagle's stock rallied by 10% in the days after the advertisement starring Sweeney was introduced. In a recent earnings call, Andrew Rees, the CEO of Crocs Inc., the parent company of HeyDude, noted that working with the actress on efforts to reach the brand's female Gen Z consumer base had been 'performing really well.' The controversy may also work in American Eagle's favor, which had struggled to generate demand for its assortments, Rao said, as it could 'get them into that cultural conversation.' Despite the volume of Sweeney's deals, Rao added, it seems the actress is still being strategic. Laneige is a top-performing skin care brand for Amorepacific Group, and Dr. Squatch was acquired by Unilever for $1.5 billion in June. 'At what point are you the face of too many things?' Rao asked. 'I don't think we've reached that point with her, clearly — but I mean, there will eventually be a point of overexposure.'
