Coke Coke Coke!!!

Today it's an old ad for Coca-Cola.

This print ad was released in the 1950's during a social norm, known as teen drag racing. This dangerous pastime saw many teenagers using their parents cars, or their own, to drag race against each other.

The slogan Coca-Cola used, was "Drive Safely. Drive Refreshed." The reasoning behind this, was that Coke wanted to be seen as the brand that helped stop teen drag racing. They tried to promote kids to drive safely, while still enjoying a Coke.

If people see a brand in a positive light, they will be more likely to purchase their product. A simple, yet effective, marketing scheme.

The headline reads,
"There's this about Coke...
"You can't beat the real thing.""
The following body copy reads,
"When you have a yen for refreshment,
look for the familiar red sign
that invites you to stop and enjoy
the real thing - Coca-Cola.
Nothing else tastes so right
and restores you so pleasantly as
ice-cold Coke. Wherever you go,
pause...have a Coke
...and drive safely, refreshed."

As you can see, Cokes unique selling point is that it refreshes like no other cold drink could. The last line of the body copy, "...and drive safely, refreshed," implies that after drinking a Coke, you would drive safer than you normally would. This meant that whenever teenagers went for a drive, and would get thirsty, they would think of Coke.

The visual shows a teenage boy, the target market of this particular advertisement, leaning up against his sports-car of the era, while enjoying a Coke. Their target market would see this, and believe that they could be like him. Coke was trying to say that kids could be cool even if they didn't drag race. They could have the car, the friends; all with a Coke in their hand.

These are the ads that have made Coca-Cola what it is today. Coke is what the majority of people will buy if they're in a restaurant and haven't got an alternative. Ever hear the phrase, "I'll just have a Coke." It's become the beverage of choice. They also own almost every other beverage in the stores today. From Sprite to Fanta.
They've teamed up with numerous fast food chains to promote themselves even more. Have you ever tried buying a drink from McDonalds that isn't owned by Coke?

These are the ads that worked so well. These are the ads that Coca-Cola is built on. These are what created a billion dollar company.