Coke: Behind the Image Essay

By adding historical context into her writing, Rubin explains the attitudes and conditions that were present during the 1950s, and how Coke used these attitudes and conditions to promote their product and symbolize it with optimism and energy, as well as target their product towards the highest valued group of people at that time. For example, Rubin points out how the vast majority of people in the ad are white males dresses as service men, blue collar workers, and business men. Also, Rubin points out that because of the war this was the largest, and highest valued group of people in America. By including this information into her writing, it helps support her claims about how Coke uses the ad to effectively promote its product to the most profitable demographic in the

The advertisement “I’d like to buy the world a coke,” Written by Bill Backer, and published in July 1971, is an illustration of how Bill Backer was able to effectively use rhetoric in the commercial “I’d like to buy the world a coke.” Bill Backer was able to show great use of rhetoric by using adolescents, and showing how Coke can bring the world together as one. The commercial “I’d like to buy the world a coke” was the most expensive advertisement used in the 70’s which can prove to the world that Coke spent a lot of money trying to show the world that equality is really important especially in 1971. When “I’d like to buy the world a coke” was made In 1971, it showed the significance of the message that was trying to be portrayed by Bill Backer Because In 1971 The United States was in the Vietnam War and there was a large amount of protest among adolescents. The commercial “I’d like to buy the world a coke” was a perfect way to show the world that war is not what the world needs, instead what the world needs is to create equality among the world and those signs are portrayed in “I’d like to buy the world a coke.”

This case study is the story of Coca-Cola, its history and the report about one of the most fascinating stories about the company this is still regarded by many as a mysterious case: “the introduction of the new Coke”.

Coca-Cola’s confidence in its domination over the soft drink industry eroded, and its advertising slogans began to recognize industry competition: “No Wonder Coke Tastes the Best”. While Coke’s slogans have always centered on the product, Pepsi’s advertisement emphasized the users of the product. Rather than targeting every market, Pepsi focused on the demographic environment. Pepsi foresaw the mass appeal of the youth generation for soft drinks and in 1961 divulged the successful slogan “Now, It’s Pepsi, for Those Who Think Young”. The campaign was such a success that Pepsi’s sales growth outperformed that of Coca-Cola.

The commercial also incorporated a presentation of the country's varying sprawling landscapes and metropolitan areas, along with Americans of different ethnicities, races, and families partaking in real life activities. With these elements: a patriotic song, playing on emotion, and an invocation of profound imagery, we see several of the tactics mentioned in both articles tackled in Coke's commercial. So why did Coca Cola receive such monumental uproar, if it made use of some of the fifteen basic appeals that make ads effective?

The advertisement “I’d like to buy the world a Coke,” Written by Bill Backer, and published in July 1971, is an illustration of how Bill Backer was able to effectively use rhetoric in the commercial “I’d like to buy the world a coke.” Bill Backer was able to show great use of rhetoric by using adolescents, and showing how Coke can bring equality to United States citizens and bring the world closer together. The commercial “I’d like to buy the world a Coke” was the most expensive advertisement in the 70’s costing up to $250,000, which can prove to the world that Coke spent a lot of money trying to show the United States Citizens that equality is really important especially in 1971, it showed the significance of the message that was trying to be portrayed by Bill Backer Because In 1971 The United States was in the Vietnam War and there was a large amount of protest among adolescents. The commercial “I’d like to buy the world a Coke” was a perfect example of how to show to United States citizens that war is not what the world needs, instead what the world needs is to create equality among the world and those signs are portrayed in “I’d like to buy the world a Coke.”

Throughout the course of this essay a rhetorical analysis will be performed over the subject of the popular soft drink, Coca Cola. Here we will take a look at two documents, both advertisement images, both from Coca Cola, separated by over 40 years. This sweet drink took the world by storm starting in the 1890’s and has been a household name since. With hundreds of thousands of soft drinks all over the world, Coca Cola is just another in a bucket, except with a different set of tactics toward drawing in their consumers.

John Stith Pemberton, a pharmacist and “cash-strapped morphine addict,” created Coca-Cola in 1886. He used a French wine called Vin Mariani as his product to replicate. Coca-Cola was different because it was water-based, not wine-based, and included kola nut, caffeine, coca leaf extract, and sugar. It was originally sold as a medicine, a “brain tonic” that “Cures Morphine and Opium Habits and Desire for Intoxicants.” Later broke and ill from his stomach problems and morphine addiction, Pemberton sold the patent to Coca-Cola to Asa Candler, who later officially created The Coca-Cola Company.

In an industry dominated by two heavyweight contenders, Coke and Pepsi, in fact, between 1996 and 2004 per capita consumption of carbonated soft drinks (CSD) remained between 52 to 54 gallons per year. Consumption grew by an average of 3% per year over the next three decades. Fueling this growth were the increasing availability of CSD, the introduction of diet and flavored varieties, and brand extensions. There is couple of reasons why the industry is so profitable such as market share, availability and diversity and brand name and world class marketing.

These two-company’s economic characteristic include their market size and growth rate from the early 2000’s to 2010. Coke and Pepsi have struggled for years in the carbonated and non-alcoholic sector. According to Barbara Murray (2006c) "But as the pop fight has topped out, the industry 's giants have begun relying on new product flavors and looking to noncarbonated beverages for growth.” (Murry, 2006). For instance, Coke boasts in the advertisement as the king of the soft drink; as a consumer of both products, I agree. About 15 years ago, I was selected to participate in a critiquing of Coke and Pepsi products. Additionally, my travel to Africa in 2007 and 2010 provided the same raving review for the Coke Cola products. Apparently, Coke and Pepsi have been rivals for ages locally, regionally, nationally, multinational, and globally, therefore, one expects them to have an on-going rivalry when marketing the high-energy beverages.

One of the company’s most popular jingles was known as “I want to buy the world a

Coca-Cola is the number one captivator of people’s throats. The company, in the last one hundred years, has managed to transform people’s thirsts in to a need for Coca-Cola. The story of the Coca-Cola Company has humble beginnings. In 1885, John Pemberton, and Atlanta pharmacist, registered a trademark for “French wine cola-ideal nerve and tonic stimulant”, a brew he had developed in a three-legged pot he apparently stirred with an oar. His desire to create such a product was based upon a stomach injury and subsequent morphine addiction he acquired during the American Civil War. (Frederick p.31) His research led him to the Peruvian cola leaf whose healing effects included aiding digestion, aphrodisiacal powers,

The company selected for this project is the Coca-Cola company. Coca-Cola is an internationally recognized brand that has been around for 125 plus years. While the company has had years of success with its signature soft drink Coke, consumers are becoming more health conscience with their beverage choices. With more research coming out about the effects of sugar and artificial ingredients on an individual’s overall health, Coca-Cola will continue to explore products that are low in sugar and natural. Howard Telford, Senior Beverage Analyst for Euromonitor, states that “Widespread changes in consumer consumption of soft drinks, seeking new healthier, functional and natural drinks – necessitate a companywide focus on the creation and

Coca-Cola spends huge amounts of fund on marketing every year to remain its competitiveness. However, recently, Coca-Cola had a weak global growth. The sales volume of soda is not so satisfactory. Coke is claimed to have too many calories and sugar, thus being bad to health, as a result of which, consumers turn their attention to other drinks (Kell n. pag.).

Coca-Cola has been successful in marketing to “billions of people around the world” for several reasons (Kotler, Keller 611). The main reason for the company’s success is their ability to connect their product to experiences and feelings. In addition, the message and feeling they are trying to express are universal. No matter, who a person is, where they are from, or what language they speak, everyone can comprehend the concepts of happiness, connection, and thirst quenching. Their advertisements such as the Superbowl