Paul Nyathi|Coca-Cola South Africa’s ‘Share a Coke with…’ campaign has been a hugely successful marketing move until last week when one South African Twitter user discovered a can of Coca-Cola reading ‘Share a Coke with Xitombo’, which translates to a slang word used to refer to female genitalia.

The marketing move started with ordinary names, moving to ordinary surnames, and towards the end of last year, began emphasising names that ordinary South Africans may not have heard before, in an attempt to break stereotypes, and make authentic South African names more recognisable.

In reaction to the alleged mishap, people who speak Tsonga felt disrespected and insulted, demanding that the company’s brand manager apologise and provide clarity on the use of the word.

It is not known where or when the Coca-Cola can in question was purchased.

Coca-Cola has since responded, explaining that the word Xitombo has not been printed on any cans sold to consumers in stores, and that this can must have been from the company’s consumer-led Share a Coke activations.

“At these nationwide activations, consumers are able to get names and surnames of their choice printed with stickers onto Coca-Cola cans. These activations will continue for the month of February and we are actively working on a solution to try and prevent any further profanity associated with our brand and products,” their statement read.

The comment offended social media users that speak Tsonga, some of which claim that the can highlights the disrespect the language endures.

Coca-Cola apologised for the profane can slipping through the campaign cracks, saying that they are currently investigating the matter, and that profanity associated with any of their products and trademarks is unacceptable.