July 19th Update

Members of the TIAA-CREF Ethical coalition gathered at TIAA-CREF's annual meeting to pressure the pension giant to be more socially responsible.  Inside the meeting, nutritonist Fern Gale Estrow urged TIAA-CREF to remove Coca-Cola from TIAA-CREF's Social Choice Account.

July 11 Update

Members of CCFC and the Make TIAA-CREF Ethical coalition gathered at TIAA-CREF's Boston Office to tell TIAA-CREF that "Coke is not a Social Choice."

April 19 Update:

Today, CCFC joined other groups concerned about Coca-Cola's business practices (including the Campaign Against Killer Coke, the India Resource Center and Corporate Accountability International) at a protest at Coca-Cola's annual shareowner meeting in Wilmington, Delaware.  While demonstrators marched outside, CCFC's Josh Golin challenged Coke CEO Neville Isdell to stop marketing to children.

Protect Children from Coke’s Marketing Machine

The Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood is working with the Make TIAA-CREF Ethical coalition to convince TIAA-CREF, the nation’s largest retirement fund, to pressure corporations to be more socially responsible – and to divest from companies that refuse to change their practices.  We believe that a company's marketing practices towards children an important factor in determining whether or not they are socially responsible. 

TIAA-CREF, the nation’s largest retirement fund, prides itself on being a “concerned investor”. But the pension giant has significant holdings of Coca-Cola, and even includes Coke in its Social Choice accounts. The Coca-Cola Company has come under increasing fire for its human rights and environmental abuses overseas and for marketing nutritionally deficient products to children in the U.S. Despite their claims that they do not advertise to children under twelve, Coke designs toys for young children, markets products extensively in schools to children of all age. Coke’s product placement is ubiquitous on programs like American Idol, one of the top-rated shows for children. Coca-Cola also lobbies extensively against policies - such as prohibitions on vending machines in schools - that would help combat childhood obesity.

 

What you can do:  Call TIAA-CREF CEO Herbert Allison at 800-842-2733 (Calls are best, but you can also email HAllison@tiaa-cref.org). If you have a TIAA-CREF account, let him know. Then tell TIAA-CREF that a company that aggressively markets soda to young children does not belong in TIAA-CREF's Social Choice accounts.   

We will also be attending TIAA-CREF's annual meeting in July in New York City.  If you are interested in attending, please let us know (ccfc<at>commercialfreechildhood.org).