Example: [Collected on the Internet, 2004]
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Origins: Instances abound of phallic imagery supposedly sneaked into product displays and packaging, such as a Renuzit air freshener can, a Star Wars
The item pictured above is purportedly a Coca-Cola advertising poster released in South Australia and recalled after the company discovered the artist had hidden some rather obvious sexual imagery in one of the ice cubes surrounding the bottle of Coke. News reports confirm that Coca-Cola did indeed pull an ad (intended to tout the reintroduction of Coca-Cola's contour bottle, hence the "Feel the Curves!" slogan) from the South Pacific marketing area in 1995 due to some questionable imagery:
Last updated: 28 July 2004Coca-Cola has dumped thousands of posters from its new advertising campaign after a graphic sexual image was found hidden in the picture.
The poster shows a cartoon interpretation of a Coke bottle sitting on a bed of ice under the words "Feel The Curves!!".
But an image, apparently depicting oral sex and which is only obvious by looking carefully, has been painted inside one icecube in one corner of the picture.
Thousands of posters had been distributed to hotels and bottle shops across Sydney before the mistake was discovered by Coca-Cola management10 days ago.
The company admitted yesterday it was embarrassed by revelation of the oversight.
The president of the Australian marketing arm, Coca-Cola South Pacific,Mr Mike Bascle, said the action of the artist was "quite irresponsible and not amusing".
The artwork was commissioned in May this year and designed by a small graphic design firm contracted by the soft drink giant.
A $200,000 campaign was created to promote the reintroduction of Coke's original contoured bottle shape.
It was designed to appeal to young Coke drinkers who would not have grown up with the famous bottle shape.
It was initially destined for 120,000 outlets across Sydney.1
Can you spot the offending artwork in the Coke ad?
Coca-Cola couldn't — till it was too late. It would have cost the company $200,000 tore-print the posters, which urge Coke drinkers to "feel the curves" of new bottles.
It wasn't till retailers complained that red-faced executives withdrew thousands of glossy posters that contained an image of a woman and a penis.
The cheeky Australian artist blew his job when the poster stuff-up was realised.
Coke's Sydney-based corporate affairs manager Ian Brown said the company was a victim.2
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