Huntington Beach, California, has signed a deal with Coca-Cola, making the beverage the “official soft drink” of the city, according to Spin (June 1999). The corporate sponsorship deal, the first of its kind in the country, will pay the city $300,000 a year in cash, plus an unspecified contribution to upgrade the local parks. In return, the soda juggernaut gets exclusive rights to sell its brew on all city property and plaster its logo all over the public beaches.
