Corporate promotion in schools reaches new low

Corporate promotion in schools reaches new low
April 1998

A highschool senior was reprimanded and suspended for wearing a "Pepsi" T-shirt to school on "Coke Day" in March. What is "Coke Day"? The Evans, Georgia highschool was competing in a contest to win $10,000 for the school that came up with Coke promotions, including the "Most creative method of distributing promotional discount cards to students" according to the 3/26/98 Gainesville Sun.

The principals accused the Pepsi-logo-wearing student, Mike Cameron, of possibly costing the school $10,000 when he took off an outer shirt to reveal a Pepsi logo and "ruined a school picture in which students spelled out 'Coke'" What warped budget priorities are causing scores of highschools to put their students to work as an unpaid promotional team to market this foul-tasting and unhealthy beverage?