Pepsi Cola has caused an uproar in Lebanon after introducing a new logo which locals claim is reminiscent of the Israeli flag, Israel Hayom reported, citing Lebanese media.
The report said that users in Lebanon are claiming that local company S.M.L.C, the bottler of Pepsi Cola in Lebanon, placed the redesigned logo solely on the caps of its bottles while retaining the old logo on the bottle itself.
This unexpected move, launching the dual-logo products in Lebanese markets earlier this week, prompted attorney Mohammed Ziad Jaafil to file a formal complaint with the Public Prosecution Office in Beirut on Wednesday.
Although Pepsi has not announced a change to its logo, users were outraged after noticing a blue-and-white redesign on its caps. Israel Hayom could not independently confirm the photos.
Jaafil's complaint demands an immediate halt to the distribution of the company's products bearing the controversial logo and the withdrawal of all such products from the market. Additionally, he calls for an investigation into the company's representatives and the referral of those responsible for these actions to the relevant criminal court, with the aim of prosecuting them for crimes of inciting strife, attempts at normalization, and violations of the boycott laws against the “Israeli enemy”.
Lebanon often boycotts things associated with Israel. In 2018, the country banned The Post, a film by Hollywood director Steven Spielberg, over Spielberg’s ties to Israel.
Days later, Lebanon banned Australian drama "Jungle", a survival drama about Israeli adventurer Yossi Ghinsberg, who got lost in an uncharted part of the Bolivian Amazon in 1981.
Two years earlier, the Lebanese Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement demanded that the government ban the movie “Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice”, because it stars Israeli actress Gal Gadot.