- calendar_today August 23, 2025
V’s Coca-Cola Deal Sparks Outrage Over Brand’s Links to Israel
BTS member Kim Taehyung, known around the world as V, has been thrust into the spotlight following the announcement of his new endorsement deal as the newest face of Coca-Cola Zero in South Korea. The post was published on July 31 and has since become a target of harsh online backlash by people who have slammed the brand for being on the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) list and accused the singer of being “tone deaf” for promoting the brand during the genocide in Gaza.
BTS V becomes the newest face of Coca-Cola Zero
In a promotional campaign using the hashtag #BestCokeEver, Coca-Cola Korea shared professional images of V, along with a major announcement that V will be replacing HYBE labelmates, the NewJeans, as the brand’s new ambassador. Celebrity endorsements for major brands are not new, however, this one in particular is quickly picking up political and ethical controversy.
Public backlash seemingly intensified from the group’s history and advocacy against injustice. BTS members have continuously presented themselves as figures who stand up for equality and promote social justice, taking part in conversations about discrimination against Asians, and making public statements in support of the Black Lives Matter movement.
At the same time, BTS has remained conspicuously silent about the humanitarian crisis in Gaza. Despite this, the group’s youngest member is now now connected to a brand that activists have accused of profiting from and conducting business in Israeli-occupied land.
South Korean idol previously had less widespread criticism for his choices as a brand ambassador last year, when V shared a picture of McDonald’s fries with the caption “salt” to the disappointment of fans who found this promotion to be “deeply disappointing” due to the fast-food restaurant chain’s controversies concerning Israel.
Fans are not happy with the promotion
Activists and advocacy groups have accused Coca-Cola, in part, of operating within illegal Israeli settlements, especially after a 2024 advertisement in Bangladesh where the company claimed that it had “no relations with Israel in any form.” WhoProfits, a research center that closely monitors Israeli occupation and corporate operations in Israel, has reported that Coca-Cola Israel has two production facilities in the Atarot Settlement Industrial Zone in the occupied West Bank, which is illegal according to international law.
In addition, Coca-Cola’s Tabor Winery has also been caught purchasing grapes from the occupied West Bank and the Syrian Golan Heights, where Israeli wine is produced.
The Coca-Cola Company has, as a result, been a common target of boycotts among pro-Palestine activists.
Fans have taken to social media platforms to express their disappointment, with numerous tweets, Instagram posts, and discussion threads slamming V, encouraging boycotts against Coca-Cola, and imploring the singer to “educate himself” on the matter.
Popular hashtags include #AntiBTS #StopArabGenocide #StopKillingChildrenInGaza #StopIsraelGenocide #CelebsAgainstIsraelGenocide, #ARMYMuslims #ARMYGazaInOurMinds #NoMoreBloodInPalestine.
The response against V is part of a larger trend of growing online fan discontent against BTS members and HYBE for not speaking up for the situation in Gaza.
One comment, shared across platforms, stated:
“Dear Taehyung BTS, Coca Cola has been operating on the stolen land of the Palestinians, some of whom are your ARMY. Please don’t work with and promote its products. Please educate yourself. Cancel the endorsement and stand with humanity.”
As the backlash campaign continues to trend, neither V nor the group’s management has made any public statement or issued an apology in regards to the criticism. It also remains unclear whether or not V will follow through with the Coca-Cola Zero promotional plans that were slated to start on August 2.
