Return of The Coke Dude

Ross Getman

Under a new National Automatic Merchandising Association's effort, "Balanced for Life" program, color-coded stickers on vending machines to separate healthful items from those hungry snackers should "choose rarely."

Given that the 2005 Dietary Guidelines recommend less sugar than is in a single can of Coke or Pepsi, the sticker on soda should be red -- "choose rarely" (actually, "choose never," but let's not quibble).

The association event launching the program on Thursday, according to the Associated Press report, "featured a Colorado Springs high school principal representing the National Association of Secondary School Principals, who said that vending machines provide crucial funding for extracurricular activities."

The AP reports that

"Jay Engeln said his school received about $30,000 annually from the machines that funded such programs as prom tickets for students who couldn't afford them."

That's great that Mr. Engeln has been able to back a program urging that kids should drink soda rarely.

He is on the Council for School and Corporate Partnerships funded by Coca-Cola.

"Resident Practitioner:
Mr. Jay Engeln
Resident Practitioner for Business-School Partnerships National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP)"

http://www.corpschoolpartners.org/members.shtml

For 7 years he was at the William J. Palmer High School where the famous "Coke Dude" was from -- author of "the Coke Dude" letter.

http://www.nassp.org/schoolimprove/engeln.cfm

Students for Sale, Nation, September 9, 1999

http://www.thenation.com/doc.mhtml?i=19990927&c=2&s=manning

As reported in the Los Angeles Times at the time, it stated:

August 1999

The Coke Dude Letter

The following letter (which is abridged) was sent to school principals in Colorado Springs, US, [i.e., such as Mr. Engeln] by the district executive director of 'school leadership'.

WASSERMAN / LA TIMES

Dear Principal

Here we are in year two of the great Coke contract. I hope your first weeks were successful and that pretty much everything is in place (except staffing, technology, planning time and telephones).
First, the good news: this year's installment from Coke is 'in the house' and checks will be cut for you to pick up in my office this week.

Now the not-so-good news: we must sell 70,000 cases of product (including juices, sodas, waters etc) during the first three years of the contract.

The math on how to achieve this is really quite simple. Last year we had 32,439 students, 3,000 employees and 176 days in the school year. If 35,439 staff and students buy one Coke product every other day for a school year, we will double the required quota.

Here is how we can do it:

1. Allow students to purchase and consume vended products throughout the day. If sodas are not allowed in classes, consider allowing juices, teas and waters.

2. Locate machines where they are accessible to the students all day. Location, location, location is the key.

3. A list of Coke products is enclosed to allow you to select from the entire menu.

4. A calendar of promotional events is enclosed to help you advertise Coke products.

I know this is 'just one more thing from downtown', but the long-term benefits are worth it.

Thanks for all your help.
John Bushey - The Coke Dude"

If Mr. Englen has had a change of heart and is now urging that kids drink soda "rarely" -- in contrast to his former colleague Mr. Bushey back in 1999 -- let's all support his effort and drink soda rarely.

And let's get out there and put those stickers on the beverage machines.