“The Ideal Brain Tonic” – Coca-Cola
In this ad, Coca-Cola is marketed as a delightful beverage that relieves not just headaches but also mental and physical exhaustion. There is some truth here especially if it’s based on the original formulation of the carbonated soft drink which contained cocaine from the coca leaf and caffeine from the kola nut.
Cocaine and caffeine are both stimulants that address your exhaustion and make you more mentally alert and awake. Like a “brain tonic,” it treats headaches, migraines, and drowsiness. However, while high doses of caffeine can cause insomnia, anxiety, restlessness, as well as increased heart rate and respiration, high doses of cocaine lead to more severe effects such as paranoia, psychosis, convulsions, permanent damage to the blood vessels of your heart and brain, and even sudden death.
Considering the fact that Coca-Cola sells millions of products on a daily basis, the people behind this ad should have paid special attention to the fact that they were selling high doses of lethal stuff.