HILLTOP COCA COLA ADVERT

The 'Hilltop' Coca Cola advert was produced in 1971, and was shot on a hilltop in Rome. The creative director Bill Backer had the idea for the advert one day when, sitting in the waiting room for a flight, he saw people chatting and talking over Coca Cola. He felt then that 'let's share a Coke' had a different meaning, about keeping people company and bringing the world together. He used this inspiration to create new lyrics ('I'd like to buy the world a Coke and keep it company') to the song  'I'd like to teach the world to sing' by Roger Greenaway and Cook.

Teenagers that made up the chorus in the ad

The messages in the advert are very strong and clear. There is a group of people singing together on a hilltop about Coca Cola. They sing about peace and harmony, which is a play on words because 'harmony' could refer to their melodic singing and world peace. It shows people coming together and enjoying themselves because of Coke. The main line is 'I'd like to buy the world a Coke and keep it company'. This projects the image of Coca Cola bringing the world closer, people making friends and living peacefully because of it. It also features teenagers and a full grown woman (the main singer), which I think appeals to a target audience of people of all ages, to show that everyone can make friends and keep each other company over a Coke.
Additionally, this advert was made at the time of the Vietnam War, and this was when American people were very upset at American troops being lost because of this war. They thought it was nothing to do with them and they should take their troops out. This advert showed unity and togetherness - that America wasn't pro-war and conflict, but instead that they wanted world peace and that was what they were trying to achieve. This message also tied in nicely with the new slogan 'It's the real thing', which showed the sincerity of the advert, and that Coca Cola really was the 'real thing' - that it truly could help bring around peace and harmony.

The bottle and brand are featured constantly throughout

The brand name, slogan and bottle are all very prominent throughout the advert, with everyone holding a bottle and occasional close ups of people holding the bottle and smiling. This is a good marketing technique because it means people can't forget what is being advertised - it shows Coca Cola's brand identity throughout.
The song was extremely popular, and over 100,000 letters were sent to Coca Cola demanding it be played on the radio, and it was eventually made into a single which was very popular.
Overall, the advert shows messages and values of peace, harmony, and bringing the world together. These messages had a big impact on America especially (but also other parts of the world) at  a time when people needed confidence and something to believe in and I think the advert fully achieved its aims and purposes.
CLICK HERE FOR HILLTOP ADVERT