Claim: Cola Next is a product of Coca-Cola.
Fact: The claim is false. Cola Next is a Pakistani brand owned by Mezan Group, and not Coca-Cola. Currently, it is not listed on the BDS boycott list. The claim likely surfaced due to a glitch in the No Thanks app and the similarity between the names of ‘Cola Next’ and Coca-Cola’s Serbian juice brand called ‘Next’.
Threads user Hamza Ali (@Hamza5253ali) shared a video (archive), writing, “کوکا کولا کو بائکاٹ کر کےسب نیکسٹ کولا مانگتے میں بھی کہوں؟؟ اس کا نام کولا ہی کیو ں
اب پتا چلا یہودی دور کی ہی کیو ںسوچتا ہے میری بھئ۔”
[Translation: Should I also say that everyone is boycotting Coca- Cola and demanding Next Cola? Why is it called Cola? Now I know why I think of the Jewish era, my brother.]
In the video, he uses the ‘No Thanks’ App to scan the barcode of Cola Next. Once he scans the barcode, the app shows the logo of a brand called ‘Next’ and notifies that the company is owned by Coca-Cola.
BDS movement
The Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS)is a Palestinian-led movement that calls for a boycott of all products made by Israeli companies and a targeted boycott of certain companies affiliated with Israel. The movement responds to Israel’s ongoing occupation of and settlement on Palestinian land, systemic discrimination against Palestinian citizens of Israel, and the continued denial of the right of return for Palestinian refugees.
Inspired by the South African anti-apartheid struggle, BDS calls for international pressure on Israel to adhere to international law. The BDS movement is now a global campaign supported by trade unions, academic associations, faith-based organisations, and grassroots movements worldwide.
As part of the BDS movement, Palestinian graduate student Ahmed Bashbash launched the ‘No Thanks’ application in November 2023 to help consumers make more informed shopping choices. The app draws its list of flagged brands from the official BDS list. Users can instantly see whether an item is linked to Israel by scanning the product barcodes. When a flagged product is detected, the app displays a “No Thanks” prompt.
Fact or Fiction?
Cola Next is a Pakistani beverage launched in 2016 that has recently become an alternative to international soft drink brands for local consumers in lieu of the BDS movement. Therefore, its affiliation with companies on the BDS list warranted an investigation.
Several users pointed out on an Instagram post (archive), which made the same claim that there was a glitch in No Thanks.
Later, the application acknowledged the glitch through a notification. We asked Instagram users who claimed to have received the notification to share evidence with us. One user, Mehroz Saeed, responded to our comment and asked us to take the screenshot from his story, where he had shared the notification.
To verify independently if there was such a glitch, we downloaded the No Thanks app. On opening it for the first time, we were immediately shown a message titled “Clarification on Cola Next.” This confirmed that there was a temporary glitch in the app, which was addressed by the application’s developers. We proceeded to scan a bottle of Cola Next. The app flagged it as “Good for now,” confirming that the product is not currently on the BDS list.
We also reverse-searched the logo of “neXt” featured in the viral video and found that it belongs to a Serbian juice brand called ‘Next’. The brand appears on the official website of Coca-Cola HBC Serbia and Montenegro, listed under their “Our 24/7 Portfolio” section, confirming its association with the Coca-Cola conglomerate. However, this juice brand is unrelated to Pakistan’s Cola Next, and the logos of the two brands do not match.
Lastly, Soch Fact Check reviewed the details on Cola Next’s official website. The brand was launched in March 2016 by Mezan Beverages Private Limited, which operates under the umbrella of The Paracha Textile Mills Limited – the parent company of the Mezan Group.
Established in Pakistan in 1951-52, The Paracha Textile Mills Limited expanded its operations in 1983 under a new management, and ventured into the edible oil market with products like Mezan Oil & Banaspati, Olivola, and others. Over time, the company diversified into various sectors, including real estate and beverages, the website stated. Mezan Beverages represents the group’s entry into the soft drinks industry, positioning Cola Next as a locally produced alternative to… in the Pakistani market.
Therefore, Soch Fact Check concludes that Cola Next is not affiliated with the Coca-Cola conglomerate. The confusion likely arose due to a glitch in the No Thanks app.
Virality
The claim was shared here, here, and here on Facebook. Archived here, here, and here.
On Threads, it was shared here (archive).
On TikTok, it was shared here (archive).
Conclusion: Cola Next is a Pakistani brand owned by Mezan Group, and it is currently not on the BDS boycott list. The claim likely surfaced due to a glitch in the No Thanks app and the similarity between the names of ‘Cola Next’ and Coca-Cola’s Serbian juice brand called ‘Next’.
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Background image in cover photo: Cola Next
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