The history of Coca-Cola marketing campaigns
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From soda fountains to global marketing campaigns, Coca-Cola has retained its iconic brand image. Even when faced with the launch of the rival brand, Pepsi, Coca-Cola was able to survive and come out on top.
So, what’s the secret to the brand’s 137 years of success?
Put simply, it’s a drink for everyone and for all occasions. With purpose-driven marketing campaigns that have universal appeal, and the ability to adapt to evolving trends, Coca-Cola has truly stood the test of time.
This blog looks at Coca-Cola through the decades, exploring how the brand has been able to diversify and grow through memorable marketing campaigns.
The beginning of Coca-Cola: ‘Delicious and refreshing’
It all started with John Pemberton and a unique flavoured drink.
In 1887, Coca-Cola was first introduced to the public in the form of coupons. Just under five years later and the drink was being advertised in the Atlanta Journal as a cure for headaches and hysteria…
The medicinal benefits of Coca-Cola continued to be a theme throughout the early twentieth century. Bland text developed into captivating visual print ads and celebrities, like Hilda Clark, were used to appeal to audiences with a higher income.
Campaign highlight: ‘The Great National Temperance Beverage’ (1906) positioned Coca-Cola as the alternative drink to alcohol. Not the most catchy slogan out there, but reflective of the time…
Coca-Cola and Christmas: ‘Holidays are coming’
When you think of Christmas, you think of snow, mince pies and the Coca-Cola holiday truck…right?
From the first Christmas campaign, the brand has become synonymous with the festive season. And it’s all thanks to one man and his depiction of Santa Claus.
In 1930, Haddon Sundblom took this traditional figure and transformed him into a cultural icon; with a bright red suit and fizzy beverage in hand. Coca-Cola has adapted the designs slightly, but kept the nostalgic themes of family and togetherness.
Taking to the road in bright red Christmas trucks or encouraging customers to share personal moments with the hashtag ‘holidaysarecoming’, the brand’s festive legacy continues to live on.
Campaign highlight: For children and adults, the ‘Holidays Are Coming’ TV advert is instantly recognisable. And it’s just as impactful today as it was in 1995.
The Cola Wars: ‘Always Coca Cola’
From the 1980s, the competition between Coca-Cola and Pepsi began hotting up.
Taking a different approach to the traditional look and feel of Coca-Cola, Pepsi started to target a younger demographic with it’s ‘Generation Campaigns’. This helped to establish the brand as youthful and trend-driven. Pop icons, including Michael Jackson and Tina Turner, were also used to tap into this energetic brand image.
In response, Coca-Cola launched a new formula…
The ‘New Coke’ launch was a flop, however, and received mass backlash. So, the original formula was quickly reintroduced and branded the ‘Coca-Cola Classic’.
After all, why fix what isn’t broken?
Campaign highlight: During the Cola Wars, the brand leaned into its emotional connection with its audience. This is captured in the 1993 ‘Always Coca-Cola’ campaign, which featured a polar bear as a symbol of nostalgia and warmth.
Global expansion: ‘The drink of the world’
Quickly recognising the value of TV advertising, Coca-Cola started to develop engaging marketing campaigns that could be viewed by a global audience.
But the brand didn’t limit itself to people’s living rooms…
Coca-Cola also started to sponsor major international events, including the Olympics. This is now recognised as one of the longest-running partnerships in sports history. Key moments include:
- The 1996 Atlanta Olympics, which is Coca-Cola’s hometown
- The 2008 Bejing Olympics, marked a celebration of Chinese culture with a new logo and innovative bottle design
- The 2012 Long Olympics, inspiring a younger generation with the ‘Move to the Beat’ campaign
Boosted by digital platforms, the brand is now able to reach a wider audience than ever before. For instance, the ‘Share a Coke’ campaign in 2011 centred around personalised bottles, which were adapted to local languages.
If anything, this emphasises the fact that Coca-Cola is both a global powerhouse and a product that resonates on an individual level.
Campaign highlight: Centred around global unity and harmony, ‘The Hilltop Campaign’ was launched in 1971 and featured the song ‘I’d like to buy the world a coke’.
“Hilltop”, RemasteredDigitalising Coca-Cola: ‘Taste the feeling’
Today, Coca-Cola continues to tap into the themes of emotional connection and togetherness, but with a digital focus.
This is achieved through the use of social media platforms and interactive apps, although you don’t have to travel far to spot the swirly logo on a billboard.
Some tactics have remained the same, with the brand using a diverse range of famous faces to promote the drink (including a posthumous Marilyn Monroe). The brand even collaborates with niche miro-influencers to appeal to smaller audience segments.
Some reflect the ever-changing digital landscape, with the brand using its own AI platform to create the most recent Coca-Cola campaign, ‘The holiday magic is coming’. Controversial? Yes. Impactful? Definitely.
Campaign highlight: The 2018 ‘World without Waste’ campaign reflects Coca-Cola’s commitment to sustainability. This pillar goes way beyond just messaging, future-proofing the brand and positioning Coca-Cola as part of the community.
Coca-Cola’s digital presence at a glance:
- Instagram: 3.1+ million followers
- Facebook: 109+ million followers
- X: 3.2+ million followers
- LinkedIn: 8+ million followers
- TikTok: 1.2+ million followers
- YouTube: 4.5+ million followers
Continuing to adapt and innovate
It’s fair to say that Coca-Cola has nailed their digital strategy. As well as a sizeable budget and established brand image that spans decades, why has Coca-Cola lasted?
- Use of different content formats – ranging from static posts and text-based content to short-form reels, Coca-Cola is able to convey different messages while taking advantage of the latest platform features
- Actively engaging with messages and feedback – the brand is incredibly chatty online, enabling it to be reactive and to evolve in line with customer expectations
- Posting visually engaging and fresh creative – Coca-Cola is just as current as it is a heritage brand, with features such as ‘The Jonas Brothers on tour’ placing the brand in the here and now
- Use of social listening techniques – AI technology is becoming increasingly popular and Coca-Cola is one of the companies at the forefront of this wave
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