Professional Documents
Culture Documents
The 1950s were dominated by the ideas of family and hospitality. The Coca -Cola
advertisements display happy family images. The noun hospitality is the most frequently
used: Where theres Coca-Cola, theres hospitality (1950).
Besides this, there is an emphasis on the teenagers, breaking away from their parents,
trying to define themselves in new ways. The adjective young is used in many Coca Cola
slogans and titles: Theres this about CokeYoung America loves it.(1954)
But the 1950s decade were also the decade that began the civil rights act, which ensured
that all African Americans must be given equal treatments with whites.
The Coca-Cola advertisements in the 1960s use the images of famous African Americans
drinking this beverage: Diana Ross and the Supremes, Aretha Franklin. The author stresses
the idea that the advertisements of this period contain African Americans names such as
Aretha comes on for Coca-Cola (1968).
The 1970s were marked by political uncertainty and Coca-Cola advertisements tried to
remind Americans of their positive values: Look up, America! Its the real, thing, Coke
(1970).But this was also a decade when young people adhered to the values of peace, love
and freedom. This young spirit is met in Coca-Cola advertisements, presenting happy young
people: Have a Coke and a smile(1974).
The 1980s and the 1990s are not very much visually presented in Coca-Cola
advertisements which focus on the slogan.
In the 1980s the slogan was : Coke is it!.
In the 1990s, the slogan was: Always Coca-Cola and according to Raluca Galita, this
slogan was an embodiment of everything that had been presented in advertisements
throughout the century.
At the end of the article, after having analysed the images, the slogans and the tittles used
over the years, the author draws the conclusion that Coca-Cola tried to reconstruct the values
and the ideals of the American society and these efforts made it possible for Coca-Cola to
become the American icon that is today.