ALBERTA, Canada – Frequently found on the inside of bottle caps reads prize giveaways or codes to enter a sweepstake, but one Canadian woman found “You Retard” written on the inside of hers.
Blake Loates of Edmonton in Alberta, Canada told ABC News she was shocked when she opened her bottle of Vitamin Water and read the words, “You Retard” written on the inside.
The choice of words was particularly hurtful to the family, as one of Loates’ sisters has cerebral palsy and autism.
Loates’ father, Doug of Tacoma, Washington, wrote a lengthy letter of complaint to Coca-Cola, which Blake Loates posted on her Facebook page.
“You see, the ‘R’ word is considered a swear word in out family. We don’t use it. We don’t tolerate others using it around us,” wrote Loates’ father.
Loates finishes the letter with this signature, “Doug Loates – An ex-Coke drinker. P.S. Here is Fiona. Can you imagine if SHE had opened this bottle???” A picture of Fiona was attached next to a photo of the bottle cap.
Coca-Cola has since issued an apology. “We have spoken to the family to offer our sincerest apologies and to explain the production process to them,” Shannon Denny, director of brand communications for Coca-Cola Refreshment Canada, told ABC News .
“This is certainly not an excuse in any way for what has occurred. We wanted them to know that this was in no way intentional and was a mistake on our part during the review process. We also wanted to share that the promotion has since been canceled and we are no longer producing bottles with those caps.”
SOURCE: NewsNet5.com
Article Courtesy of WCPO-TV Cincinnati and WEWS NewsChannel 5
Picture Courtesy of Blake Loates Facebook, WCPO-TV Cincinnati and WEWS NewsChannel 5
