It’s always exciting to watch Mad Men and
recognize a product that the men of Sterling Cooper are advertising.
Such was the case when Coca-Cola showed up in the episode “Shoot."
Though Don and his cohorts weren’t the ones thinking of witty slogans
for this bubbly beverage, Betty did get to model for the company posing
as the happy housewife that she is.
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Coca-Cola has been a prevalent company since the 19th century
and the 1960s were no exception. Coca-Cola was a growing enterprise and
had just introduced canned coke in 1955. Advertising was working on
expanding Coke’s markets by adding new drinks like Fanta, Sprite, and
Fresca as well as purchasing The Minute Maid Company. Many of their
advertisements showed happy women, families, and young people enjoying
their life moments with a signature Coke bottle in hand. The popular
slogan for the decade was “Things Go Better With Coke."
Advertising
agencies' marketing methods progressed along with the American
television-watching society. While photo ads were still important,
television commercials were becoming popular. Coke's new television
spots were light, up beat, and showed how easily the beverage could make
a person happy.
Coca-Cola
advertising became an American symbol and could be found everywhere. In
1961, the comedy film, “One, Two, Three” premiered starring Jimmy
Cagney in a Coca-Cola bottling facility during the Cold War; the film
was nominated for an Oscar and a Golden Globe. Coke also sponsored the
first animated TV special for the cartoon “Peanuts” in the 1965 holiday
season. Beyond the television market, Coke was still prevalent in radio
in the mid-sixties. A radio campaign featured various artists singing
Coca-Cola jingles aimed toward the young American audience. Some artists
recorded were Jay and the Americans, Roy Orbison, and Petula Clark.
Today,
Coca-Cola may use different methods to target audiences, but the
company is still known for the happiness it brings to its customers.
Links referenced:
As someone with a major aversion to Coca-Cola and soda in general, I found this article a very interesting read. It featured a pop culture/socioeconomic piece that has been relevant for years, and implemented media very well. Coca-Cola must be the ultimate marketing genius of the world, because its success cannot be based on taste or health, at least in my opinion. I wish that this had touched upon the negative health effects of Coca-Cola, but that is a selfish wish. It was fascinating to read how Coca-Cola has developed such an advertising monster to overcome adversity.
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