The Rise and Ultimate Dictatorship of the Colatariat

"To capitalism!": Karl Marx.

One account of the history of Hungary since 1989 can be summed up thus: Kremlin moves out; Coca Cola moves in. Not that Coke wasn't here before the fall of the Soviet Union, but until then Pepsi was the cock of the cola walk. Coke played third fiddle to its arch-competitor and the communist ideology. When Sovietism was sent packing, Coke-is-it-ism stepped up and overthrew Pepsi. In a commercial purge Stalin would have admired, Coke succeeded in wiping out Pepsi and any other serious threat to its fizzy rule over Hungary. Today, it thoroughly dominates the soft drink market. Pepsi, 7-Up, or any other contra-Cokes are nowhere to be seen, except in rare incidences of token dissent from the party colatariat. As for now, rebel opposition to The Cola is anemic, scattered, and demoralized. Hence, it can be tolerated. Such tolerance serves to demonstrate, by juxtaposition, Coke's colossal strength in the world of soda.

How did Coke rise to such prominence in Hungary? I don't know, though I have made some observations. 

In the United States, where advertising saturation has numbed American society, Hungary stands in stark contrast by its lack of advertising. Which is not to say advertising doesn't exist, but rather, that because the landscape is so uncluttered, the little advertising one encounters here -- on buses, billboards, etc. -- really goes a long way; and, from an American perspective, how much, how vastly much remains to be plowed. Why it remains unplowed is anyone's guess. Perhaps it's because Hungary wants to restrict the intrusion of private commerce into public consciousness; or perhaps it's because Hungarians by and large don't have a lot of disposable income, so why bother.

Coke chose a different path. Rather than refrain from or go timidly into the then virgin market of a free, democratic, and capitalistically coquettish Hungary, Coke went on an all out blitz to make sure that its red logo replaced the red star as the dominant symbol Hungarian culture. Since I arrived in January, I have been amazed at how prevalent Coca Cola is, and I don't just mean the soda; I mean the sign, the symbol, the trademark signature. It! is everywhere.

Case in point: In my little town of Eger, where I am now conducting research seated at an outdoor wine cafe, within my view are five restaurants, all with outdoor seating, and all with identically beiged awnings bearing the individual restaurant's name, and the Coca Cola logo.

Though my father owned a beer and soda store, I never drink soda (can't say the same for beer), and so I don't know if Coke is a good product. What I do know is that no matter how good Coke may be, no establishment is going to advertise the product without getting something in return, a bit of Coke-pro-quo. In other words, all these restaurants bearing Coke tattoos struck a deal:

Coke: We'll help offset some or all of the cost of your awning.

Restaurant: What's the catch?

Coke: Two things: our name goes on it, and you sell nothing but Coke products.

Restaurant: Deal.

So, not only is Coca Cola reiterated ad nauseum everywhere you turn, by virtue of its Coke-pro-quos, it is Coke (or Coke products The Coca Cola "Portfolio") or nothing.


And the limits of Coke-pro-quos seem to have no end. Here is some Coke furniture:

Table top

Accompanying Chairs

Here is some Coke artwork:

And restaurant equipment:

What about those who want to drink something a bit stronger?

Well, there is certainly the traditional alcohol+Coke product, such as the old war horses, rum and Coke and Jack and Coke. But those are drinks for old-timers and dive bars. Today's drinkers of tomorrow need new, hip drinks to call their own, and Coke has obliged, at least here in Hungary, by concocting a bunch of new drink recipes -- all of which call for a product from the Coke portfolio -- and by promoting them, gratis, in slick Coke printed and logoed drink menus found throughout the country.

You've got to hand it to Coke. They think of everything, and then provide it.


But, what if you don't like to drink your drink with Coke portfoliates? Say you like your whiskey straight, or simply prefer wine or beer? In that case, hasn't Coke perhaps wasted this promotional outpouring? Maybe, but maybe not. So, two scenarios:

Scenario 1: Four college kids go out on a night of drinking. All four drink beer, because, a), that's what college kids drink, and b) it's cheaper than mixed drinks (hence, a).

Scenario 2: Same four kids go out on a night of drinking, except Hungary has a zero-tolerance law when it comes to drinking and driving. Meaning, even a spec of alcohol in your bloodstream lands you in hot water. So, in Scenario 2, of the four drinkers, only three are drinking beer. The poor guy who is the designated driver has to abstain 100% from alcohol. What then is the designated driver's choice should he or she not want to simply sit with hands folded, to openly reveal to the world that I am the loser of the drawn straws? Why, a soft drink of some kind! With the proper get up, a soft drink even looks like a drink drink. So, have a soft drink!
 
In Scenario 2, all is not lost for Coke. Yeah, Coke did lose three of the four to beer, but Coke never had them in the first place. Coke did, however, put itself in position with the designated driver.

Now, let's connect the dots. 


Dot 1: Coke has completely colonized Hungary. In 99% of Hungary's restaurants and drinking holes you will find Coke products and only Coke products. All the Coke-pro-quos guarantee that.  


Dot 2: Coke or Coca-Cola is emblazoned everywhere -- inside, outside, on the way into the mall:

Dot 3: Hungary's zero-tolerance law ensures that at least one person of a group will drink something other than alcoholic beverages. 


Ergo, Dot 4: at least one person in the group will drink some Coke product.  


Seems to me that the zero-tolerance law likely produced quite a windfall for Coke. Just look at the litter of designated drivers sired by the law.


Hence, in my tendency to see much of the world in terms of conspiracies, I can imagine a script wherein Coke, calculating the benefits to be reaped from a zero-tolerance law in a country where such a law would lasso buyers for their products, might actually have wrangled some politician or politicians to propose the law, and then help to insure its passing. I've heard of (and imagined) more cockamamie ideas in my life. 


Whatever. Bottom line: In Hungary, more than it!, Coke is it.