Fifty Years of Coca-Cola Ads

Venina HaleyParker Academy

Furman University Fall 2001

Coca-Cola: An Advertising Genius

This presentation features 50 years of Coca-Cola

advertisements and historical marketing success.

Many sources attribute Coca-Cola’s ad success

to ALWAYS reflecting American life, culture

and events in their ad campaigns.

Collage:Coca-Cola Ads

1886-1899

1900-1915

1916-1927

1928-1939

1940-1949

• How Coca-Cola was invented

• The D’Arcy Advertising Era 1950-1956

• McCann Era 1956-1969

• Look Up America 1970-1975

• Coke Adds Life and Mean Joe Greene 1976-1981

• Coke Is It! And New Coke 1982-1985

• Two Tastes and Two Campaigns 1986-1992

• Polar Bears and International Approaches 1993-2000

How was Coca-Cola Invented?

• Coca-Cola was originally a nerve tonic, stimulant and headache remedy.

• Prohibition in 1886 caused physician Dr. John S. Pemberton to rename and rewrite his popular formula.

• Renamed “Pemberton’s French Wine Cola”

The D’Arcy Era1950-1956

The D’Arcy Era1950-1956

• The successful relationship between D’Arcy and Coca-Cola begin in 1906, when the agency persuaded Coca-Cola to begin newspaper ads.

The D’Arcy Era1950-1956

• Other ads were created as early as 1886. Coca-Cola, however, experienced historical advertising success when they paired with the D’Arcy agency.

• D’Arcy agency created Coca-Cola’s first television ad in 1950, which aired on Thanksgiving Day.

• The television market was a struggle-since most cities did not have stations and most homes did not have televisions.

The D’Arcy Era• An internal memo from 1951

validates the struggle both Coca-Cola and D’Arcy had in making television a successful market.

• In 1953, D’Arcy creates its first live-action television ads. These prove to be a success.

From D’Arcy to McCann1956-1969

McCann Era1956-1969• Coca-Cola

switches to the McCann-Erickson agency:

• (D’Arcy, a major print ad agency, still had difficulties with new media, and D’Arcy dies)

McCann Era 1956-1969

• McCann launches several new campaigns:

• The Sign of Good Taste

• Be Really Refreshed

McCann Era 1956-1969

• Ads rose greatly during this period.• 1958: TV becomes a household fixture• 1963: Things Go Better with Coke• This campaign had world wide appeal• 1964: First color ad- Refrigerator Man• 1967: Popular artists sing jingles

McCann Era 1956-1969

• The most famous ad campaign during this time was the Hilltop commercial.

• This ad featured the popular song “I’d Like to Buy the World a Coke.”

• (Bill Backer from Charleston, SC)

Look Up America1970-1975

Look Up, America 1970-1975• Coca-Cola faced a major

challenge.

• They needed a new campaign to reflect American life.

• The Look Up, America campaign was a positive spin due to political uncertainty from Watergate and President Nixon’s resignation.

Look Up, America 1970-1975

• The ‘Look Up, America’ ads featured everyday American scenes:– Football players– Cattle herders– Country/Western

singers, etc.

Look Up, America 1970-1975

• The Look Up, American campaign was so successful, Advertising Age magazine (1974) named Donald Keough, president Adman of the Year.

Coke Adds Life and Mean Joe Green

1976-1981

Coke Adds Life and Mean Joe Green

1976-1981

The Coke Adds Life campaign focused on the young at heart and highlighted the concept that Coca-Cola adds enjoyment to life.

• Coca-Cola continued to adapt campaigns to worldwide audiences.

Coke Adds Life and Mean Joe Green

1976-1981• ‘Have a Coke and a Smile’ campaign:

• Emphasized the reliability and reward in drinking Coca-Cola.

• Used famous actors during this campaign.

• Featured people from all walks of life.

Coke Adds Life and Mean Joe Green

1976-1981• Mean Joe Greene was the most famous ad during this ad period.

• VERY popular ad• Won 1979 CLIO

award• International

version• Movie made

Coke is It and New Coke 1982-1985

Coke Is It! And New Coke

1982-1985• ‘Coke Is It’ campaign emphasized

the quality of taste and refreshment.• Appealed to the ‘straight forward’

mood of Americans• ‘Coke Is It’ also stressed the quality,

the enjoyment and anticipation of drinking Coca-Cola.

Coke Is It! And New Coke 1982-1985

• New Coke (1985) ironically showed Coca-Cola that the original formula was preferred.

• Americans wanted the original formula.

• Coke responded with Coca-Cola Classic.

Two Tastes and Two Campaigns1986-1992

Two Tastes and Two Campaigns1986-1992

• Two campaigns had to be developed because • Coke and Coca-Cola Classic were on the market.

• Catch the Wave (1986) campaign had a contemporary feel. It appealed to youth.

• Coke created a computerized spokesperson: Max Headroom.

• Max was incredibly popular. Coca-Cola received more calls and inquiries than for any other campaign.

• Voted top ad campaign in 1986

Two Tastes and Two Campaigns1986-1992

• For Coca-Cola Classic, ‘The Red, White and You’ campaign focused on the stability of the original formula and the overwhelming support from Americans to bring it back.

Two Tastes and Two Campaigns1986-1992

• ‘Can’t Beat the Feeling’ campaign showed Coca-Cola as part of everyday life-from a first date to family get togethers.

Polar Bears and International Approaches at the

Millenium1993-2000

Polar Bears and International Approaches at the Millennium1993-2000

• ‘Always Coca-Cola’ used animated graphics.

• Took twelve weeks to complete one ad.

• The animated polar bear became another VERY popular and successful ad campaign.

Polar Bears and International Approaches at the Millennium

1993-2000

• ‘Always Coca-Cola’ continued.

• Used a lot of humor, music, stories, and animation.

• 1998 first international commercial. (Coke usually

made commercials for the American culture and then adapted them to various countries and cultures).

Polar Bears and International Approaches at the Millennium

1993-2000

• ‘Coca-Cola. Enjoy’ began the 2000 ad campaign.

• This campaign focused on the magic drinking Coke brings.

• First Experience and Snowflake ads.

Coca-Cola , a commercial product,

became a lasting symbol of American culture…

Bibliographic Index The graphic images used in this presentation were selected from several sites.

The major sites were from the Library of Congress-American Memory Collection.

EVERY graphic is LINKED to its original source. So, as you view the presentation and like the graphic, you may arrive at the site of origin to select the graphic yourself. In addition to the individual links, please find an overall index of the sites used for this Power point presentation.

http;//memory.loc.gov/ammem/ccmphtml/colahist.html

http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/ccmphtml/colatime3.html

http://funlist.com/www/coke/pix/dc001_f.html

http://members.aol.com/daclassic1/stuff1.htm

http://www.jonsullivan.com/topic/things-g.au

If you have any additional questions, please e-mail me.