Sunday, 2 December 2012

Coca-Cola - Holidays Are Coming



Nothing screams Christmas than the first time you see the Coca Cola trucks rolling across your screen to the chanting of "holidays are coming". In this advert we see many signs of Coca-Colas American-ness, none more obvious than the product being the consumer product most synonymous with America, more than anything else. 

Founded in 1886 in the city of Atlanta, Georgia, the iconic Coca-Cola is now sold in over 200 countries world wide, grossed over $46.5 billion worldwide in 2011, owns 4 of the 5 top selling global soft drinks (Coca-Cola, Diet Cola, Fanta and Sprite) and it is claimed that 94% of the world now recognise the logo and the word Coke is second most recognised worldwide after "okay." After all at one point it was believed that drinking Coke meant you were more likely to support their foreign policy, and along with McDonald's having Coca Cola in a country shows it's been Americanized - as can be seen with good old Father Christmas, who was originally green until Coke turned him red. Also note the top comment on the above YouTube video is "oh, I am so looking forward to see this commercial on Czech TV every Christmas." 

The magical light decorations on the trucks and sparked on the house and trees as they pass by signifies its American-ness by demonstrating the consumer influenced over dramatics of holiday celebrations in America. It too portrays the myths of the modern American Dream with the joy seen in the faces of people the trucks pass by, especially the father and son at the end of the advert sitting in their pick-up (a typically American vehicle) demonstrating that America is a place where joy and happiness can be achieved more so than any other country - through the purchasing of consumer products of course, showing that the advert too represents the modern consumer culture that has developed in, and by, America post-WWII. 

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