Historic photo of a German man drinking a Coke, circa 1937.
Kaum ein Produkt gilt als amerikanischer als Coca-Cola. Doch der Brause-Hersteller will plötzlich in der Reklame als besonders deutsche Marke erscheinen…
(“Hardly any product is considered more American than Coca-Cola. But the soda manufacturer suddenly wants to appear as a particularly German brand in its advertising…”)
— from the German media website Welt.de, September 9, 2025.
America has long maintained a sterling reputation, around the world, as a premiere designer and manufacturer of junk food. Super-sweetened soft drinks. Fast-food hamburgers and fries. Microwave popcorn. Process cheese. Corn dogs.
White Chocolate Mocha Frappuccinos. Oreos. Pop Tarts.
For instance, Germans have been drinking Coca-Cola since at least 1937, according to the photo above that I found online.
We’ve also become world-famous for other things that can slowly kill you. Cigarettes, for example. There was a time, following World War II, when U.S. cigarettes were so highly prized in western Germany, people were using them as currency.
Recently, the climate has shifted. The political climate. And the food industry climate. America’s reputation in Germany has taken a major beating, raising questions about whether U.S. companies can survive without pledging their allegiance to a different flag.
Certain U.S. firms are now actively marketing their products as “Made in Germany.” At least, that’s what I understand, after reading a recent article by Dirk Kaufmann on DW.com, about Coca-Cola’s rebranding campaign:
“Coca-Cola rebrands products in Germany amid U.S. image crisis”
“DW” being the magazine “Deutsche Welle”, translatable as “German Wave”.
“The campaign aims to show Coca-Cola’s deep roots in Germany,” the company told DW in a statement, noting that the company had been part of German business and society for almost 100 years.
If I had an employee as attractive as Jana, I would not hesitate for a moment to use her as the symbol for German-made Coca-Cola.
Under the slogan ‘Made in Germany’, the Coca-Cola Company is telling the German people that “97 percent of the Coca-Cola beverages sold in Germany in 2024 were produced domestically across 13 plants.” But they are saying it mostly in German, which is why you probably haven’t heard about it before now.
Can junk food actually have a nationality? Absolutely. Just like cigarettes can. And a super-sweetened soft drink can find itself getting boycotted, like what’s happening in Denmark and Canada..
Danish consumers stopped buying U.S. products when President Trump started talking about annexing Greenland. And Canadians have been boycotting American products — and travel to the U.S. as well — ever since last March. Especially American whiskey, or so I hear. Probably Coke, too.
Apparently, the Big Mac has now become a German product. A sample of McDonald’s Deutschland advertising copy:
Aus deiner Nähe. In deiner Nähe…. Die Milch für unsere Shakebasis und Eisbasis „Original“ kommt zu 100% aus Deutschland. Und noch einige weitere Rohwaren kaufen wir ausschließlich hierzulande ein, z. B. Rind — und Schweinefleisch. Klingt gut? Ist es auch!
(From your area. In your area… The milk for our “Original” shake base and ice cream base comes 100% from Germany. And we source some other raw materials exclusively here, such as beef and pork. Sound good? It is!)
Understandable. If you’re a German, you naturally want German ingredients in your junk food.
And you’re probably bummed if you bought a Tesla last year. Around the world, Tesla owners are placing stickers on their cars reading: “I bought this before Elon went crazy.”
Tesla sales have dropped dramatically in Germany. The stickers there are in German, which is probably why we haven’t heard much about it.
Granted, a Tesla is not a junk food. But you get the idea.
I wonder how gun sales are doing?
Underrated writer Louis Cannon grew up in the vast American West, although his ex-wife, given the slightest opportunity, will deny that he ever grew up at all. You can read more stories on his Substack account.