The importance of discourse within the body politic of a democratic population is, of course, vital; however, this discourse is being continuously corrupted. This corruption stems from the ability of multi-national corporations to advertise. Advertisements seep into the collective consciousness of populations, and the latent ideology of these jingles and images can shape consumers’ realities. What individual can counter that ideological power?

Cildo Merieles recognized this very problem. In his Insertions into Ideological Circuits (ca. 1970), Merieles syphoned the recognizability of Coca-Cola by replacing labels with discreet messages such as “Yankees Go Home!” and placing the bottles back into circulation. Merieles’ technique “repurposes” the brand recognition of Coca-Cola to introduce, suddenly, its consumers to anti-globalist ideology antithetical to the corporation’s mission. This presentation of ideology, equal in weight but counter to the original presentation by Coca-Cola, deconstructs the alternate economic reality created by corporations and opens the door for truer, fairer discourse.