Why Coke is Going White for Polar Bears

The 125-year-old Coca-Cola Company doesn’t like to mess with its brand image. That’s in part because it’s so valuable — according to Interbrand Coke has the best brand in the world — but also because previous efforts to tweak its image haven’t always worked out so well, reports TIME’s Ecocentric blog.

So perhaps it’s a measure of the company’s dedication to the environment that Coca-Cola has decided to change the color of its iconic cans for the holiday season — white, to draw attention to the plight of the polar bear. Coke and the environmental group World Wildlife Fund (WWF) have joined together to promote the Arctic Home project, which will involve turning 1.4 billion Coke cans white, emblazoned with the image of a mother polar bear and her cubs pawing through the Arctic. There will also be white bottle caps on other Coke branded drinks, all running from the beginning of November to February.

“In 125 years we’ve never changed the color of the Coke can,” says Katie Bayne, president and GM of Coca-Cola Sparking Beverages. “We really see this as a bold gesture.”

The company — which has used polar bears in its holiday ads for decades — is donating $2 million to WWF, and will match consumer donations through Mar. 15 up to $1 million. Individuals (in the US) will be able to text donations at a dollar apiece to 357357, or donate online at Arctichome.com.

“Coke has made a kind of foundational commitment that has never before been seen in our history,” says Carter Roberts, the president and CEO of WWF. “They’re taking their biggest promotional season and dedicating it to this cause.”

It’ll take a lot more than soda to save the polar bears, which are already listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act. But a little highly carbonated holiday cheer won’t hurt.