Media reports uproar caused by ‘Israeli flag’ Pepsi logo
Date
6/27/2024 6:57:56 AM
(MENAFN) A controversy has erupted in Lebanon over a new Pepsi logo design that some locals claim bears a resemblance to the Israeli flag, prompting widespread calls for a boycott of the beverage brand. According to reports from Beirut-based outlet L’Orient Today, the Lebanese Modern Company for Trade (LMCT), a PepsiCo bottler in Lebanon, recently introduced a blue-and-white cap for its glass bottles. This design, featuring two stripes around the Pepsi name, has sparked what has been described as a "nationwide campaign" against the company.
The issue escalated when Lebanese lawyer Ziad Jaafil filed a formal complaint with the Beirut Public Prosecution Office, urging the bottler to cease using the logo due to its perceived similarities in colors and layout to the Israeli national flag. Jaafil accused LMCT of potentially inciting strife and violating Lebanon's laws regarding boycotts against Israel.
Confirmation of the complaint came from prominent Beirut-based imam Hassan Moraib, who highlighted the demand for LMCT to immediately withdraw its products from circulation. The backlash reportedly extended beyond legal actions, with reports of locals attempting to block Pepsi distribution trucks in South and North Lebanon. Some storeowners purportedly emptied Pepsi products onto the streets and destroyed them in protest.
A video circulating on social media allegedly shows a Muslim preacher in the town of Bar Elias confronting a Pepsi distributor, illustrating the intensity of public sentiment against the perceived association of the Pepsi logo with Israeli national symbols. The situation underscores the sensitivity of geopolitical symbols in Lebanon and the volatile reactions they can provoke among the populace.
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