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I’D LIKE TO BUY THE WORLD A COKE

All day, everywhere we turn we are subjected to advertisements!  Nowadays, we pay to avoid ads, but I find them amusing! Naturally, with my affinity for mind wandering, I reminisced about the most influential ad in my lifetime (to me).

I grew up singing and wholeheartedly believing that “I’d like to Teach the World to Sing.”  While I still remember the lyrics of the original 1971 Coca-Cola ad, visually, the 1977 Holiday version lingers in my mind.

At my ripe age of 7, it was a comforting, unifying beverage that hugged the whole world.  At that age, when going from my side of the block to the far side of our block seemed like visiting another planet, it was hard to imagine people from anywhere else. The Coke commercial reminded us how wide our boundaries reach yet fostered intimate international connections with just one sip. A variety of people shared and translated this soda into many languages, which was code word for

Love.

This was reinforced everywhere I went. When I was fortunate enough to travel to China, Mexico, Greece, Russia, I believe all of them had Coca-Cola, and in some countries it was safer to drink than the water.

Classic!
Refreshing and Delicious in every language!
Thanks to c7.co for the shot!

I moved a lot as a child, and I longed for the sense of community and belonging that I had to rebuild with every new school.  To me, it was a comforting thought that by drinking this beverage, I’d fit into their community with a seat at the international soda fountain.

I’m guessing a Norman Rockwell – Long time artist for Coca-Cola
For more Coca-Cola conversations, click on the photo

Now, let’s not discount the jingle…  I am a music nut and songs get glued in my head!  I remember song-lyrics or jingles better than anything I’ve been forced to memorize in school. The message was simple – sing it loud: We love Coke, Coke loves you!

Music to our mouth
Found on the Coca-Cola New Zealand Facebook page!

I tried to love Pepsi while briefly working for them yet I celebrated my kids’ milestone of their first soda with their own ice-cold glass Coca-Cola bottle.

I know part of the reason I often have a song in my head and a relentless belief in happy endings is thanks to Coca-Cola. Still working on perfect harmony…

[sip] Aaaah!

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What was your most influential ad of your lifetime?

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