Coca-Cola has been viewed as one of the most successful internationally operating companies with recognisable image, effective marketing strategies, and interesting ideas for promotion of its products.
Besides, Coca-cola is believed to have become one of the commodities (Miller, 1997, p. 55) which make our life easier, more enjoyable, and pleasant. In this respect, the image of Coca-Cola plays a crucial role in the marketing strategies of the company. Visual presentation of Coca-Cola products are aimed at promoting the lifestyle and different moral values rather than a soft drink.
The video presentations of Coca-Cola products include bright images that make one think about the values accumulated and shared by the members of contemporary society; Coca-Cola makes no distinctions for genders and races, ages and professions. ‘Coca-Cola Jinx’ is the first video that reflects one of the values promoted by Coca-Cola.
When two politicians have a video debates, they start arguing because they do not have sufficient arguments to support their views. As such, the anchorperson suggests them to go outside the studio and have some Coca-Cola to refresh their thoughts.
When the politicians drink Coca-Cola, they start reaching agreements in all issues such as going by bus, watching the game, and having a calm discussion of the issues they are concerned with. This video aims at making the Coca-Cola image more positive and support the idea that Coca-Cola blurs the borders, helps to reach an agreement, and understand the opponent in the most debatable issues. “So, Coca-Cola is not merely material culture, it is a symbol that stands for a debate about the materiality of culture” (Miller, 1997, p. 55).
The colors are not as bright as in cartoon-like video made for Coca-Cola promotional campaigns though the conditions of daily life where ordinary people can have some disagreements as well as politicians and statesmen makes the video even more appealing and touching.
‘Coca-Cola Avatar’ is the second video that should be considered. It is more colourful than the first one; besides, the music hints that this may be a Coca-Cola commercial broadcast. However, all people that are depicted as their avatars in the interactive social networks have telephones.
This fact makes the audience think that this if an advertising of a cell phone. Nevertheless, the final scene makes everything clear and we can see that the boy, the main character who did not transit to the level of avatar, orders some Coca-Cola to refresh and meets a girl.
I believe that, in this case, Coca-Cola is presented as a unit/item/key that units people and makes them forget about something unreal and imaginary and start real life communication instead of using social networks and not noticing other people that may be interesting companions or perhaps seek their help. As such, Coca-Cola helps people to set priorities and decide what is more important for them in terms of cultural values and communication.
To conclude, Coca-Cola is one of the concepts that entered life of people as a cultural key that helps to differentiate between the real values and hypothetical ones, the true beliefs and those casted over people by the scope of informational technologies, advancements, and sets. Coca-Cola enables to make the right decision and find out what is important.
Reference List
CocaColaSuperbowl, 2008. Coca-Cola Jinx. Available at: <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lHk7kYYroRU&feature=relmfu> .
CocaColaSuperbowl, 2009. Coca-Cola Avatar. Available at: <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kwke0LNardc> .
Miller, D., 1997. Coca-Cola: a black sweet drink from Trinidad. In: James L. Watson, Melissa L. Caldwell, eds., 2005. The cultural politics of food and eating: a reader. Carlton, Victoria: Wiley-Blackwell, pp. 54-69.