COCA COLA: MESSAGES & VALUES

TONIGHT'S PREP: You view a Prezi on Coca Cola HERE so that you become familiar with a presentational tool that you will use later this week. Look at the Prezi website http://prezi.com/ and sign up ready to go, please.

We discuss the continuity of Coca Cola's brand values and the use it makes of the Santa Claus figure, and how this came about.

The True History of the Modern Day Santa Claus

GLOBAL BRANDS: COCA COLA

We continue our study of Coca Cola as a brand that has maintained its brand values over the decades. We learn about the history of the brand, the Pepsi wars, Coca Cola as a global brand, its public image and the consistency of its values.

• I Wish (Mother, 2004) For Damian Blacken (formerly Universal McCann), 'This is personal, charming, and nostalgic, although a wee bit saccharine for some tastes. It is a lovely piece, with beautiful casting of the curvy girl whose figure, one could argue, actually resembles a bottle of Coke. Her representation is key to the advert's success: she values sharing, bringing happiness and harmony. It's a warm ad, which must have performed well, as Coke's Bring Me Sunshine (2005) is a different execution of the same idea.' In class, we note the way the lyrics embody the brand values.

We consider cultural imperialism and some negative issues related to Coke's declared intention to make Coca Cola universally available and affordable, such as its use of water in drought areas. 

• The Hilltop campaign (McCann Erickson, 1971) is a more ideological and global affair. In the Vietnam era, its message was in tune with the sense of purpose and optimism that the younger generation was looking for. In class, you learn contextual information, such as  why it met the needs of the time and how its concept was inspired by a foggy day with disgruntled passengers at Shannon airport. 

We discuss celebrity endorsement.