'Cristiano' water bottle becomes a thing after Ronaldo’s Coca-Cola saga

Famous brands and even small businesses have always found idiosyncratic ways to profit from the sensational moves of celebrities, politicians, or sportspeople, turning them into commodities.

While we still haven't gotten over the cozy patterned mittens of Bernie Sanders that stole the show during President Joe Biden's inauguration after memes spread like wildfire across social media, another internet sensation is now in the works.

The marketing department of Swedish furniture giant Ikea in Canada jumped at the opportunity and took advantage of Portuguese footballer’s Cola-Cola saga by launching refillable glass water bottles called "Cristiano" in a clear reference to the soccer star. 

Juventus forward Cristiano Ronaldo removed Coca Cola bottles from his table at Portugal’s pre-match Euro 2020 press conference on Monday before suggesting that people drink water instead.

Inspired by the 33-year-old footballer's famed aversion to Coca-Cola, IKEA Canada then shared a photo of their new product on Instagram, describing it as “a reusable bottle for water only” along with the caption, “Drink water, sustainably.”

Italian midfielder Manuel Locatelli and French footballer Paul Pogba followed in Ronaldo’s footsteps and hopped on the trend bandwagon, setting aside coke and Heineken beer bottles, respectively, on their tables during media speeches.