Rasmussen 1 Rachel Rasmussen COMM 363 Dr. Emily Langan Feb.

24, 2013 Analysis of Coca-Colas America Is Beautiful Advertisement Coca-Colas America Is Beautiful advertisement painted a diverse narrative of the United States. Beginning with an older white man riding a horse in the southwest to the song America, the Beautiful in English, the ad progresses to showcase that song in seven different languages while portraying families of many ethnicities. The ad creates a connection between diversity and beauty by depicting America as diverse. Thus, the message of the ad seems to be this: America is diverse, and America is beautiful, thus, diversity is beautiful. Emotionallycharged cinematography captures beauty with close-up shots of different faces alternated with scenes of families enjoying life outdoors, camping, swimming, on the streets, and eating in restaurants. Rich colors and vast landscapes multiply the beauty. Most of the people in the ad are smiling; they seem to be enjoying life. Placement of Coca-Cola appropriately within the family scenes intertwines the message of the ad with the brand. Compared to many other Super Bowl ads, this Coca-Cola ad is unique, especially in the context of the sports world. White (83%) and male (64%) fans dominate NFL watching1, while this ad portrays minority men and women, children, and elderly people. Many other ads predominately feature young or middle-aged white men, as they are the main audience of the Super Bowl. The ad did not use humor, sex appeal, or celebrity endorsement, like many Super Bowl ads. The use of multiple languages was another defining part of this ad. In another Super Bowl ad, the actors spoke Russian while English subtitles appeared onscreen. But in that ad, the language was used to humorously reinforce old stereotypes of Americans and Russians. The translation of the song America the Beautiful into seven different languages tastes very
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Simmons, Experian. http://www.marketresearchworld.net/content/view/1113/48/ Huffington Post. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/02/02/coca-cola-america-the-beautiful_n_4714931.html 3 Lee, Jolie. http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation-now/2014/02/03/coca-cola-ad-super-bowl-racism/5177463/

Rasmussen 2 different. Instead of reinforcing cultural stereotypes, the Coca Cola ad depicts ethnically diverse people enjoying recognizable family activities. Using families and familiar scenes, Coca-Cola plays with nostalgia to increase the salience of their inspiring message. One of the most powerful aspects of the ad is its emphasis on family and children. Women and childrens voices sing America, The Beautiful. Several of the group shots of the video center on specific, recognizable pastimes. Children swimming elicit nostalgic joy at thoughts of summertime on the beach or in the pool. Camping children waken memories of giddiness at being allowed to sleep in a tent, even if it was only in the backyard. Shots of a family eating dinner in a restaurant invoke recollections of delicious meals shared with loved ones. Because these and all of the other scenes in the ad remind the viewer of childhood and family ties, the diverse families seem natural. The unique quality of this ad stimulates central processing about what America is and who an American is. For some people, this ad provoked rage. A digital backlash against the ad revealed that not everyone in the majority culture is ready to open their arms to a diverse United States2. This backlash provided Coca-Cola with extra news coverage, stimulating conversations about the ad and brand. But this ad also alienated some consumers, as shown by some who publicly renounced their consumption of Coca-Cola after the ad3. Coca-Cola clearly took a risk with this ad. That risk, though, may actually work to increase their credibility as a brand. By being willing to alienate some consumers, Coca-Cola may increase loyalty with people who are minorities themselves, including ethnic minorities and those in the LGBT community. Beyond that, Coca-Cola as a company shows through this ad that they lead the way in celebrating and embracing diversity. Diversifying media has been a very slow process, and by airing this particular ad during the Super Bowl, Coca-Cola advocates for advancing that process.
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Simmons, Experian. http://www.marketresearchworld.net/content/view/1113/48/ Huffington Post. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/02/02/coca-cola-america-the-beautiful_n_4714931.html 3 Lee, Jolie. http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation-now/2014/02/03/coca-cola-ad-super-bowl-racism/5177463/

Rasmussen 3 Compared to other Super Bowl ads, the progressive message of this Coca-Cola ad sets it apart. By creating a message of supportiveness for diversity and family, Coca-Cola evokes feelings of moving forward, encouraging people to join them in creating the America that is beautiful. Breath-taking cinematography and music inspire consumers to join something bigger and better than themselves. The Super Bowl allows fans to have an identity as a supporter of a certain team, something outside of themselves. This ad hands consumers a sense of belonging to something outside themselves. By drinking Coca-Cola, a consumer can feel like she is supporting diversity and celebrating beauty. This provokes a positive and progressive feeling that seems unselfish. Coca-Cola successfully connects their brand to an inspiring message. With an inspiring message, beautiful cinematography, and expert juxtaposition to other Super Bowl ads Coca-Cola effectively campaigns with their America Is Beautiful advertisement. As the US moves toward diversity and celebration of diversity, Coca-Cola remarks that they are leading the way and invites consumers to join them by drinking a Coke.

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Simmons, Experian. http://www.marketresearchworld.net/content/view/1113/48/ Huffington Post. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/02/02/coca-cola-america-the-beautiful_n_4714931.html 3 Lee, Jolie. http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation-now/2014/02/03/coca-cola-ad-super-bowl-racism/5177463/