Masaryk university faculty of education

4.5 1910’s Advertisements

• 
  Panama Canal connecting the Atlantic Ocean to Pacific Oceans opens
  
• 
  1914 WWI begins, President Woodrow Wilson declares American neutrality, nevertheless, the country becomes an important supplier to the Allies, which results in America’s economic boom
  
• 
  1917 US declares war on Central Powers
  
• 
  1918 the Armistice is declared, the US experiences post-war inflation
  
• 
  As an answer to problems with alcoholism, high level of criminality and various temperance movements spreading across the US for decades, the Eighteen Amendment to the United States Constitution is ratified to accomplish nationwide Prohibition (1919)
  

The connecting element of all the advertisements from this decade is the answer of the Coca-Cola Company to the arrays of competitors who in seek of enrichment started counterfeiting its product.

• 
  Everybody’s Drink (See Appendix 5)
  

In this advert the illustration shows a young, presentable, happy-looking couple smiling contently while enjoying the refreshing taste of Coca-Cola. Again, there is an arrow starting at the bosoms of the girl pointing to a glass of Coca-Cola, as if suggesting, that if you want to be as contented in your relationship as the people in the picture are, follow the arrow to the nearest Coca-Cola soda fountain. Moreover, Coca-Cola’s logo is placed over the picture of the couple as if stamping their happiness.

In the upper left quarter of the advert, written in a distinctive typography, is a headline: ‘A man’s drink. A woman’s drink. Everybody’s drink’, in which the repetition employed makes the title more memorable, and underlines the universal characteristic of the drink.

The thread from the headline and illustration continues in the body copy. The body copy, describing the qualities of the drink, consists of three units-all of them divided into two sections as if paralleling the number of people in the advert: Vigorously good and keenly delicious. Thirst-quenching and refreshing.  The national beverage... and yours. According to the functions of language used, the body copy could be characterized as both poetic and informational.

The last part of the advertisement contains a piece of advice in form of a direct imperative (conative function of language): Demand the genuine by full name. The rest of it is rather informational: Nicknames encourage substitutions. The Coca Cola Company, Atlanta, GA’

Finally, written in the lower left corner, in relatively small fonts, there is a slogan: Whenever you see an arrow, think of Coca Cola.

‘A man's drink. A woman's drink. Everybody's drink. Coca Cola. Vigorously good and keenly delicious. Thirst-quenching and refreshing.  The national beverage... and yours.  Demand the genuine by full name. Nicknames encourage substitutions.  Whenever you see an arrow, think of Coca Cola. The Coca Cola Company, Atlanta, GA’

• 
  Good Road-Good Car-Good Party (See Appendix 6)
  

In this advert, the illustration depicts the leisure time of young American middle-class. In the foreground of the illustration, three people are taking a rest holding their tennis and golf equipment, and enjoying the taste of Coca-Cola. In the background, a young couple has just got out of their car and is coming to join the rest of the group.

Considering the verbal message of the advert, all of the following language functions – poetic, informational and conative – are noticeable in the first line (see the whole text of the advert below). The attention of the reader is caught by the use of a repetition: ‘good road - good car - good crowd - good party’ and by the -r sound occurrence in several words that are close together: road-car-crowd-party-treat (American English pronunciation taken into consideration). This choice of words might suggest their onomatopoeic relation to the roaring of a motor. The reader is invited to imagine that he or she can partake in the presented idyll. The advertiser claims that there are good roads, good cars, good people in the USA, and subsequently, turns to the reader directly and bids him or her to ‘make it a good party with a treat of Coca-Cola.’ The second line is identical to the one analysed in the previous advertisement, thus it shall not hinder us any further.
The whole text of the advert:
‘Good Road-Good Car-good crowd-now make it a good party with a treat of Coca-Cola. Demand the genuine by full name-nicknames encourage substitution. The Coca Cola Company, Atlanta, GA’
In relation to American nationalism, I think, that the first advertisement and its part which says: ‘The national beverage...and yours’ should be mentioned here. Stressing the connection between the nation and an individual, the section could be rephrased as follows: the national beverage is your beverage, the nation is you and you are the nation. The second advertisement, on the other hand, speaks proudly about American products and the people of America, thus a reflection of patriotism should be mentioned here as well.

4.6 1920’s Advertisements

• 
  January 17, 1920, the Prohibition came into effect, Federal Prohibition Agents enforce the law
  
• 
  The Nineteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution which prohibits state or federal sex-based restrictions on voting is ratified (Women Suffrage)
  
• 
  The Ku-Klux-Klan reaches its peak of membership
  
• 
  Post-war recession is superseded by economic boom and spending sprees
  
• 
  Charles Lindberg made first solo, non-stop flight from the US to Europe
  
• 
  The Share Market crashes in October and November 1929 and the USA falls into harsh depression 
  

• 
  A Toast to America (See Appendix 7)
  

This advert consists solely of an illustration depicting a hand raising a glass to a prosperous city (nation), arousing feelings of pride and patriotism. The verbal text, which is printed in a separate box, is reduced to a minimum: ‘Drink Coca-Cola. Delicious and Refreshing.’ The illustration is left to speak for itself. Moreover, depicting just a part of a human body, the reader is invited to imagine himself or herself in the illustration toasting to the country. This is a clear attempt of establishing an indexical relationship between the product and something carrying favourable connotations.

• 
  By the Way (See Appendix 8)
  

In this advert the illustration shows three people. A young couple who has stopped their car at a red Coca-Cola sign to get refreshed. The woman is already sipping at her drink with a straw and the man, looking at her with a loving smile, is just being served with a cooling glass as well. The last person is a friendly server attending them. In the upper right corner, a red logo of Coca-Cola with an inscription reading: ‘Drink Coca-Cola. Delicious and Refreshing’ is placed.

Reader’s attention is aroused by the headline embodied by a familiar phrase, ‘By the Way’, indicating that some additional information is going to be imparted or that the speaker is casually opening a new subject. In connection to the illustration, the situation becomes ambiguous, the reader might either think that he or she is invited to listen to a part of conversation between the server and the young couple, or he or she might get the feeling that he or she is being addressed directly, in both instances, the real addressor is the advertiser, speaking through the mouth of the server. Phatic function is clearly employed here.

The body copy is characterized by the use of informational and conative functions of language. The text reads: ‘The red sign that dots the road-map of the world means that all you have to do is--stop and refresh yourself’, in which the main parts of the message are highlighted by the use of red-colour font, namely ‘red signs’ and ‘refresh yourself’, which underlines the connection between Coca-Cola = ‘red signs’ and its ability to refresh one’s body and mind.

Finally, the slogan of the advert, ‘It had to be good to get where it is-7 million a day.’ uses specifics in order to convince the reader about the product’s quality, popularity and success.

The whole text of the advert:

‘By the way-the red sign that dots the road-map of the world means that all you have to do is--stop and refresh yourself. It had to be good to get where it is-7 million a day.’
Clearly, both of the adverts try to appeal to reader’s sense of pride at his/her thriving country and world-wide success of one of its products (patriotism and exceptionalism).

4.7 1930’s Advertisements

• 
  The country wallows in the depression: low consumer demand, poor international trade, high level of unemployment, homeless, malnutrition
  
• 
  President Franklin D. Roosevelt introduces the New Deal, a series of programs for recovering the economy
  
• 
  Ten-year-drought with severe dust storms begins in South and Midwest, the phenomenon is caused by drought and extensive farming
  
• 
  American Communist party is on the rise, later on weakened by the Nazi-Soviet nonaggression pact signed in 1939
  
• 
  World War II begins
  

• 
  Santa (See Appendix 9)
  

This advert joins, by this time already, two established symbols of the USA, Santa Claus and Coca-Cola, both carrying positive connotations such as the charming magic of domestic life, togetherness, relaxed atmosphere, people’s smiles, happiness, etc. The use of Santa Claus as the main character of the advert and his endorsement of Cola-Cola multiplies the positive connotations of the drink even further.

The illustration shows Santa Claus in his traditional red attire, hat off, happily smiling and raising up a glass of Coca-Cola. The title of the advert is in quotation marks as being uttered by Santa himself: ‘My hat’s off to the pause that refreshes’. In other words, the sentence imparts that Santa likes Coca-Cola a lot, for the phrase ‘hats off to sb’ is defined as to be “said to praise and thank someone for doing something helpful” (Cambridge Advanced Learner’s Dictionary). The second part of the sentence contains the metaphorical phrase, ‘the pause that refreshes’, which denotes Coca-Cola itself.
The whole text of the advertisement:
‘My hat’s off to the pause that refreshes.’ Old Santa, busiest man in the world, takes time out for the pause that refreshes with ice-cold Coca-Cola. He even knows how to be good to himself. And so he always comes up smiling. So can you. Wherever you go shopping, you find a cheerful soda-fountain with ice-cold Coca-Cola ready. You relax and enjoy the tingling, delicious taste and its wholesome, cool after-sense of refreshment...that rests you. Thus shopping does not tire you out. Over nine million a day...it had to be good to get where it is.
Throughout the first part of the body copy the reader is being told about the busy life of Santa Claus and the way he refreshes himself, in order to be able to always keep his smile. Subsequently, in the second part of the body copy, a parallel is drawn to the life of the reader saying that wherever he or she does his or her Christmas shopping, there is a ‘cheerful soda-fountain with ice-cold Coca-Cola ready,’ he or she can relax and get refreshed.

Again, in this advert the adman addresses the reader directly in the second person singular to establish a familiar ‘Christmas’ atmosphere. By doing so, a closer relation between the reader and the adman is established, which seems to be more suitable for stimulating desire and creating conviction.

Similarly to the previous advertisement analysed, specific information about the product selling rate is used to persuade the reader about its quality and credibility, this time, the line reads: ‘Over nine million a day...it had to be good to get where it is.’

• 
  True Story (See Appendix 10)
  

In this advert, the same elements as in the Santa one can be found: illustration – here divided into three parts – headline, body copy, logo and slogan.

The most important illustration of all three of them is colourful and shows a smiling man, a main character of the advert, with a wise look turning to the reader with a raised hand as if he wanted to order another glass of Coca-Cola. A smaller black-and-white illustration depicts a group of men sitting at a soda fountain refreshing themselves after a hard-work day. The third illustration pictures a soda-fountain machine with the logo of Coca-Cola saying: ‘Drink Coca-Cola. Delicious and Refreshing.’

The headline, ‘I’ll say it’s the way to start in the morning’, of the advert is situated in the middle of the poster, in this case, it is spoken by the adman through the mouth of the main character again.

In the body copy, the main character makes a personal confession of his problems with ‘getting started in the morning’ and praises Coca-Cola for its qualities to bounce him back to normal enabling him to be ‘fit for work ahead.’ This advertisement apparently employs similar strategy to the one used in the previous advert, the adman tries to create a situation familiar to the reader, which is likely to attract his or her attention and which makes his or her conviction easier. Again, the helper, Coca-Cola, assists the main character to overcome all possible obstacles in his endeavour. The functions of language employed in the body copy are mainly referential.

A separated text box in the lower-right corner gives details about Coca-Cola qualities as ‘pure and wholesome.’

Considering the reflections of American nationalism, the importance of work and human readiness for fulfilling one’s tasks and duties is stressed here.
The whole text of the advertisement:
Sometimes I am slow getting started in the morning. I find I am thirsty and maybe I am tired. Then is when I like an ice-cold Coca-Cola – to bounce back to normal, as it were. It does quench thirst. And it does give a feeling of being fit for work ahead. I’LL SAY IT’S THE WAY TO START IN THE MORNING. Drink Coca-Cola. Delicious and Refreshing. 5 ¢. You can be sure it is pure and wholesome. Coca-Cola is a pure drink of natural products, with no artificial flavour or colouring. Complying with pure food laws all over the world. Bounce back to normal.

4.8 1940’s Advertisements

• 
  1940’s are dominated by World War II, Europeans flees to the US from Hitler and Holocaust, American men fight overseas, women replace men at their workplace, the Great Depression weakens
  
• 
  1945 atomic bombs are dropped on Nagasaki and Hiroshima
  
• 
  Cold War, permanent political and military tension between the Western (the US and other NATO allies) and the Eastern block (the Soviet Union and other Warsaw Pact members), begins
  

• 
  Familiar Acts (See Appendix 11)
  

The verbal message of this advertisement seems to be rather dominant over the visual one, nevertheless, the combination of the headline - divided into two parts - saying: ‘Familiar Acts that Mark a Better Way of Living’ – ‘You Twirl a Dial or Raise this Frosty Bottle’ and its illustration is both attention and interest arousing. The possible reader might ask a question where the connection among these parts lies. To find the answer he or she must get engrossed in the body copy.

The black-and-white drawing used in the illustration, one hand switching on or off the radio, another hand raising a bottle of Coca-Cola, do not add any extra information to the verbal message imparted, they rather corroborate the verbal content of the headline.

The body copy is divided into three columns of type, in comparison with the other advertisements so far analysed, this body copy is rather lengthy. The adman decided to deploy story-appeal of the unique history of Coca-Cola and its interconnection with the country and its citizens. The story is built in a way to raise reader’s confidence and trust in himself or herself, the nation and its economy. The adman, addressing the reader directly in the second person singular, states that the current exceptional position of Coca-Cola would not be possible to achieve without hard work and the people of America, the reader included. In the first paragraph, conative and referential functions of language are dominant, in the second and third paragraphs, a referential one.

Below the body copy, logo and a piece of an additional writing, once again stressing the reader’s importance, are placed: ‘Your desire for its quality and the work of years have made Coca-Cola the drink everybody knows...and the pause that refreshes America’s favourite moment.’
The entire text of the advert:
Familiar acts that mark a better way of living. You twirl a dial or raise this frosty bottle.

Watch the familiar things people do with their hands. They switch on the radio...wind a watch...light a match. Simple things, yet in these acts you find the human touch that keeps the wheels of business turning. It’s a close-up of the give-and-take between people and industry.

Naturally, these things we do didn’t develop overnight. It took a lot to make them what they are, Coca-Cola is a striking example. Coca-Cola has been a quality drink from the beginning. Fifty-four years ago Coca-Cola was first produced. It was a soft drink with a unique taste thrill and described as ‘delicious and refreshing.’ Nobody then could have guessed the tremendous scale upon which it would eventually be produced.

But making Coca-Cola was only part of it. Coca-Cola had to get where you could enjoy it when you wanted it. Coca-Cola has come a long way to do that. It would be hard to find a place in America where Coca-Cola isn’t known...where its signs, trucks, coolers, cartons can’t be seen. That goes for its many bottling plants and the soda fountains, too. Coca-Cola had to be good to get where it is in American life. Doing it has been the work of years. But it couldn’t have happened if you and million like you hadn’t made it your custom to pause and enjoy the refreshment of ice-cold Coca-Cola.

Your desire for its quality and the work of years have made Coca-Cola the drink everybody knows...and the pause that refreshes America’s favourite moment. Drink Coca-Cola. Delicious and Refreshing. 5 ¢.

• 
  Merry Christmas (See Appendix 12)
  

In comparison with the previously discussed advert, the illustration in this poster is quite essential. This time it is colourful and spreads over two-thirds of the poster. The situation depicted in the picture appeals to the reader’s attention, interest and emotions for it shows how his or her countrymen tackle the quiet moments of wartime overseas.

The illustration shows five people, four American soldiers and a woman native to the country depicted. In the foreground of the illustration are two of the soldiers, they are sitting in a tent having bottles of Coke opened on the table. One is helping the other with a Santa costume. Both of them are trying to keep a straight face, because the door of the tent is opened and another soldier peeking inside is laughing heartily and poking fun at them. In the background of the picture is a military car full of Christmas presents and a Christmas tree ready for decorating. At the car, the last soldier with the local woman is standing side by side, both laughing. The atmosphere of the picture is fairly relaxed and light-hearted.

The headline: ‘Have a Coca-Cola = Merry Christmas...or how Americans spread the Christmas spirit overseas’ in this case is not spoken by one of the characters, but is intended to help the reader get a better understanding of the situation in the illustration.

The body copy is divided into two parts, first part describes the friendly American nature that pervades whichever soil the American soldiers enter, furthermore, it claims that by saying ‘Have a Coke’ the good will is spread throughout the year and that ‘throughout the world Coca-Cola stands for the pause that refreshes, - has become the high sign of friendly-hearted.’ The second part discusses the importance of Coca-Cola, a symbol of home, for the soldiers overseas and stresses its characteristics as a successful worldwide beverage, which even during the wartime ‘has being bottled right on the spot in over 35 allied and neutral countries.’

The illustration as well as the verbal message used have both emotional and national pride-rising effect, especially the parts in which the soldiers are related to the reader himself or herself by using the determiner: ‘Your American fighting men’ or ‘Our fighting men’.

4.9 1950’s Advertisements

Historical background:

• 
  The fifties could be described as a restless era marked with the rise of civil rights movements, society’s moving from rural areas to towns and from cities to suburbs, the Americans get highly motorized and new highways are built
  
• 
  1950-1953 Korean War
  
• 
  Supreme Court rules on Brown (an African American) vs. Board of Education and ends in decision that ‘separate but equal’ public educational facilities are unconstitutional
  
• 
  1955- After Rosa Parks refuses to cede a seat to a white person on the bus and gets arrested, Montgomery bus boycott begins
  
• 
  Post-war baby boom peaks
  
• 
  Anti-homosexual and anti-communist activities
  
• 
  The Soviet Union and the USA compete in conquering the Space
  
• 
  The Vietnam War starts in 1959
  

• 
  Boys’ World (See Appendix 13)
  

Considering the historical background of the advertisement, in which various activities for rooting out homosexuals were being undertaken, the illustration seems to be quite daring. It shows two young men lying side by side on the grass, drinking bottled Coca-Cola and relaxing. One of them is barefoot wearing shorts only; the other one is fully dressed. They have their legs crossed and their soles seem to be touching. What were the thoughts of the people creating the advert and choosing this picture for illustration will remain unknown in this thesis. They might be just two friends satiating their thirst on a warm summer day, which offers the reader the possibility to interpret the illustration as an example of a strong friendship, a bond he or she experiences on his or her own. For the same reason they might be depicted in the most common place possible, a park or a meadow.

Let us step back from its possible interpretations and speculations and turn to the verbal message of the advert instead: In here slogan and headline are identical, written in bigger bolt font making a hyperbolic claim that: ‘there is nothing like that great taste of Coke!’ The preceding text, ‘In all this big wide thirsty world...’ could be viewed as a poetic introduction to the headline. Supposing the above interpretation of the illustration, a friendship, to be plausible, then substituting the word ‘friendship’ for the name of the drink in the sentence, would make sense, in other words, there is nothing better in the world than the time with your best friend.
The whole text of the advert:
‘In all this big wide thirsty world...there is nothing like that great taste of Coke!

• 
  America’s Preferred Taste (See Appendix 14)
  

In this advert the illustration shows a situation, probably familiar to most of the Americans in the fifties, young couple is having a date, sitting in a bar, smiling and drinking Coca-Cola. Nevertheless, this time the young couple is situated in the background of the illustration, the red soda fountain machine with an inscription ‘Have a COKE’ represents the focal point. The machine is being used - for a hand of the soda fountain server is filling another Coca-Cola glass with the sweet fizzy drink. Again, the atmosphere of the illustration is relaxed and tranquil.

The headline takes a form of a hyperbolic claim: ‘America’s Preferred Taste’, even if the reader does not spend his or her time reading the body copy, it takes a brief glimpse for him or her to absorb the message of the advert. The visual part of the advert in connection with the verbal message of the headline is sufficient to impart that Coca-Cola is America’s favourite drink.

Throughout the decades Coca-Cola acquired a range of positive connotations, it had established its place in America and become one of her symbols, consequently, the advertisements started getting more playful, poetic and the visual message is being given more prominence.

Thus the body copy of this advert is fairly short again and accentuates the message already imparted by the illustration and the headline. Language poetic device is employed here - the use of repetition listing the reasons why Coca-Cola is America’s preferred drink. The reasons are escalating from ‘a distinctive tang’ to ‘the unmatched goodness’, or hyperboles. The advert is teeming with hyperbolic claims, for instance, already mentioned ‘unmatched goodness’ of the drink, or ‘there is nothing like a Coke’, and ‘Almost everyone appreciates the best.’ The last mentioned one, being a slogan of the poster, seems to be quite nonsensical, for it begs the question who would not appreciate the best.

In the lower right corner, an illustration of an elf-like cartoon figure - a sprite² - is placed, in which with his magical wand the little boy conjures up the last piece of text: ‘The Pause that Refreshes’ standing for Coca-Cola and ‘Fifty Million Times a Day’, imparting the specific information about how many times a day is the drink being enjoyed.

The whole text of the advert:
Preferred for its distinctive tang-for that fresh sparkle-for the unmatched goodness that tells you there is nothing like a ‘Coke.’ Almost everyone appreciates the best. The Pause that Refreshes. Fifty Million Times a Day.

4.10 1960’s Advertisements

Historical background:

• 
  The sixties could be labelled ‘the decade of death and radicalism’, oppressed groups get impatient, women call for pay equality, students organizes anti-war demonstrations, African-Americans fight for acceptance and desegregation, disillusioned people turn into ‘hippies’
  
• 
  The Vietnam War continues
  
• 
  In the ‘Space’ competition with Soviet Union Americans suffers defeat when Yuri Gagarin becomes the first man to cross the boundaries of the Earth’s atmosphere in 1961
  
• 
  After three years of presidency John F. Kennedy is assassinated in 1963
  
• 
  Malcolm X, an African-American Muslim minister and human rights activist, is assassinated 1965
  
• 
  Martin Luther King, Jr., one of the main characters of African-American Civil Rights Movement, is assassinated in 1968
  
• 
  1969 the Americans land on the Moon
  

• 
  Really Refreshed (See Appendix 15)
  

This advertisement is in many aspects similar to the America’s Preferred Taste one. The illustration depicts a cut-out from a universalized situation where a young couple in love is sitting in a restaurant or a soda-fountain bar, eating dinner and possibly proposing a toast to their anniversary. By using just the small cut-out of the situation focusing on two glasses of Coca-Cola clinking and hands of a man and a woman touching under the table, the illustration catches reader’s attention by means of imaginary, this generalized situation evokes the process of picturing the rest of the image in his or her mind. Considering the illustration more deeply, symbolism of duality and love occurs: man and woman, two hands toasting, two hands touching under the table, two glasses of Coca-Cola clinking, two plates on the table, bracelet with a heart-shaped pendant, etc., thus the illustration develops a ‘being together and happy’ theme.

The headline of the advert, employing alliteration: ‘Be really refreshed!’ is written in red colour, corresponding to the symbolic colour of Coca-Cola and a heart. The conative function of language is used here. The body copy develops the content of the headline further and makes hyperbolic claims about the drink again: ‘Pause for a Coke! Only Coca-Cola gives you the cheerful lift that is bright and lively...that cold crisp taste that deeply satisfies! No wonder Coke refreshes you best! This part employs conative, referential and poetic functions of language. In connection to the illustration, the slogan: ‘For the Pause that Refreshes.’, might be interpreted that the couple has come to the bar to spend some quality time together, a time which refreshes; they have come here ‘For the Pause that Refreshes.’, in other words for Coca-Cola, so again, the connotations of Coca-Cola and togetherness are intertwined.

It is quite interesting to focus on the words used in the advert and think about their possible connotations:

Nouns: Coke, Coca-Cola, lift, taste, wonder, pause

Verbs: to be, to pause, to give, to satisfy, to refresh

Adjectives: refreshed, cheerful, bright, lively, cold, crisp, best
If the situation depicted is happening on a warm summer day, then mostly all of them evoke positive connotations.

The whole text of the advert:

Be really refreshed! Pause for a Coke! Only Coca-Cola gives you the cheerful lift that is bright and lively...that cold crisp taste that deeply satisfies! No wonder Coke refreshes you best! For the Pause that Refreshes.

• 
  Home, Sweet Home (See Appendix 16)
  

This advert again shows a situation which would be probably familiar to a great number of Americans even nowadays. A young couple is moving out or in and needs to settle down in a new place. The core of the situation is again fairly generalized and it is likely to touch a cord of a great number of people. The young couple is the focus of the illustration, a girl dressed in pink with a nostalgic smile on her face is sitting on a side of a green huge armchair, her boyfriend is leaning towards her from behind whispering into her ear gently. The girl is holding a plate with sandwiches in one hand and a bottle of Coke in the other, the boy is holding a bottle of Coke and a framed poster with a simple inscription: ‘Home, Sweet Home’. The inscription is an allusion to a famous American song written by John Howard Payne, an American actor, poet and playwright, in 1822, of which first part reads as follows:

Mid pleasures and palaces though we may roam,

Be it ever so humble, there's no place like home;

A charm from the sky seems to hallow us there,

Which, seek through the world, is ne'er met with elsewhere.

Home, home, sweet, sweet home!

There's no place like home, oh, there's no place like home!

(Poetry Archive)

The headline of the advert: ‘Refreshing New Feeling’ is situated below the lower left corner of the illustration, it is written in distinctive font size and colours, ‘Refreshing’ in green to underline the connotations of the word, ‘New Feeling’ - expression standing for Coca-Cola, in red. After the reader’s attention has been caught by the nostalgic illustration and the headline, the theme of a refreshing new feeling is further developed by a hyperbolic claim that ‘only Coke’ can give you that - ‘the special zing’ - which helps you to get things done. Subsequently, the advert moves to the theme of ‘home’ imparting: ‘A home is not a home without sparkling Coke...’, in which a rhetoric device, a tautology³, is used. The text of the advertisement ends in a hyperbolic slogan: ‘cause ice-cold Coke refreshes you best!’, in which the use of distinctive font colours is repeated.

The whole text of the advert:
Only Coke gives you that refreshing new feeling...the special zing...that lets you really get a move on! Enjoy the lively lift that’s yours only with Coca-Cola! A home is not a home without sparkling Coke... ‘cause ice-cold Coke refreshes you best’!

4.11 1970’s Advertisements

Historical background:

• 
  The tumultuous events of the sixties such as various social movements persist in the seventies
  
• 
  The war in Vietnam continues, anti-war protests increase
  
• 
  Under the presidency of Richard Nixon Watergate scandal occurs revealing questionable practices of his administration, which amplifies the growing disillusionment of the government
  
• 
  American withdrawal from Vietnam 1973
  
• 
  American dependency on foreign oil is acute, at this time, the US consumes 30 per cent of the whole word’s energy, and consequently, it experiences an energy crisis due to embargo of Arab oil. The economic relief at home is sought through the stability in the Middle East. (Davidson et al. 904-905)
  
• 
  High inflation and recession keep hurting the economy
  

• 
  Coke Adds Life (See Appendix 17)
  

African-Americans were not regarded potential customers of the market for decades and the advertising industry reflected it. If they had featured in advertisements, then in positions of servers such as ‘Black Mummy’ or ‘Uncle Tom’. The first time they were recognized as target customers by the Coca-Cola Company in its advertisements was in Ebony, the most widely circulated black publication, in 1953: “readers flipping through the magazine came across a full-page, four-color print ad featuring the popular basketball player, Harlem Globetrotter Reese ‘Goose’ Tatum” (Coca-Cola Company). Nevertheless, due to the historical development, the advertisements remained racially separated long after then.

This advert still makes no exception. The illustration depicts Afro-Americans having a great time in a disco roller rink. In the foreground of the illustration, a young couple is sitting at the table snacking and drinking Coca-Cola, another young man approaching them from behind is pointing at the people dancing and rolling in the rink, and all of them start laughing. The logo of the company is placed in the lower right corner.

The headline, being a slogan at the same time, reads as follows: ‘Coke (written in a distinctive red font again) adds life to...’ imparting that everything is better and livelier with Coke. The body copy then provides the reader with a list of activities, happening in a disco roller rink, which get heightened when Coca-Cola takes part: ‘rollin’, struttin’, foolin’ around or coolin’ out and sittin’ down.’ All of them in a form of a gerund, which allows space for a rhetoric device, consonance, to attract reader’s attention.
The whole text of the advertisement:
Coke adds life to...rollin’, struttin’, foolin’ around or coolin’ out and sittin’ down.

• 
  The Real Thing (See Appendix 18)
  

In this advert, the illustration is a collage of different photographs representing the symbols and mental-images connected with America, Coca-Cola occupying the central position.

The symbols depicted in the illustration could be read as follows:

• 
  American Bald Eagle: The bald eagle was chosen as the emblem of the USA in 1782, it embodies qualities such as long life, great strength, majestic look, boundless freedom, etc. (American Bold Eagle)
  

• 
  The Moon: Americans were first to walk on the Moon, in the words of Neil Armstrong: ‘This is one small step for a man, one giant leap for mankind’ (Brainy Quote).
  

 

• 
  Red rose (being a national floral emblem): a symbol of immortal love, health, memorial, passion, ultimate sacrifice, etc.
  

• 
  Coca-Cola: a symbol of friendship, togetherness, refreshment and happiness
  

The rest of the pictures are more or less general mental images connected with America: enjoying the sunset on the beach, a beautiful young woman, natural wonders: Grand Canyon and Niagara Falls.

The headline, being a slogan of the advertisement at the same time, reads as follows: ‘It’s the real thing. Coke.’ The theme of Coca-Cola’s being one of the ‘real things’ in the world is further discussed in the body copy which says: ‘There are more than 3,000 canyons in the world - but only one they call Grand. When you come across a real thing - on the road - or right out of your refrigerator, you know it.’ Thus the visual and verbal messages of the advertisement are interwoven and mutually underline their contents. Their connection offers a number of interpretation such as: there are many eagles in the world - but only one of them is the Bald Eagle; there are many people in the world - but only one of them is ‘you’, there are many drinks in the world - but only one of them is Coca-Cola, etc. Thus considering the whole advertisement, its content is of a strong nationalistic viewpoint.

The whole text of the advert:

There are more than 3,000 canyons in the world-but only one they call Grand. When you come across a real thing-on the road-or right out of your refrigerator, you know it. It’s the real think. Coke.

4.12 1980’s Advertisements

Historical background:

• 
  1980 the United States S boycotts Moscow Olympics in protest at the Soviet Union’s invasion to Afghanistan
  
• 
  Severe recession, inflation, interest rates decline, bank failures, high level of unemployment and homeless people on the rise
  
• 
  The leaders of antagonized countries Ronald Reagan and Mikhail Gorbachev meet several times
  
• 
  Reagan declares war on drugs (high number of cocaine and crack addicted)
  
• 
  Hospital costs rise, physicians begin diagnosing AIDS
  
• 
  US starts interfering in and ‘solving’ problems in the East
  

In 1982, the Coca-Cola Company introduced Diet Coke and “within two years, Diet Coke had become the top diet soft drink in the world, a position the brand maintains today. Known as Coca-Cola light in some countries, it's now the No. 3 soft drink in the world” (Coca-Cola Company). After its birth, several professional football players from different teams were asked to endorse the new brand, one of them was Ronnie Lott playing for San Francisco 49ers that time. Basically, all the advertisements were built on the playful use of various rhetorical devices in connection with the names of the players.

• 
  Refreshes a Lot (See Appendix 19)
  

The visual message of the advertisement is quite straightforward; the illustration shows a close-up featuring Ronnie Lott refreshing himself with Diet Coke during a football match.

The surprise element that raises reader’s interest is the combination of the illustration with a play of a linguistic nature-‘a pun⁴’ used in the headline: ‘Refreshes a Lott.’, in which the player’s surname is used instead of a noun ‘a lot’.

After reader’s attention has been caught, the body copy gives details about the new product characteristics such as having the real Cola taste and being low in calories at the same time. As a result of the interplay of the visual and verbal messages, the reader starts making possible connotation of the new product such as being dietary, healthy, suitable for physical activities, etc. Thus he or she can desire the drink to identify with the trend of a healthy lifestyle.

The slogan, ‘Just for the taste of it.’ closes down the advert, the verbless phrase bids the reader to fill the blank space with possible actions such as drink, buy, get, try, etc.

The whole text of the advert:

Refreshes a Lott. Ronnie Lott, San Francisco 49ers. The real cola taste you can drink more of because it’s just one calorie. Just for the taste of it. Enjoy diet Coca-Cola.

• 
  Purely Physical (See Appendix 20)
  

Apparently, this advertisement builds on the same rhetorical device as the ‘Refreshes a Lott’ one. The visual message is fairly limited to possible interpretations, for the focal point of the illustration is a glass of ice-cold Diet Coke placed against a neutral background, which might be taken as an example of an iconic image – a term explained in the theoretical part of the thesis (p. 16).

The headline, placed in the upper part of the advertisement, reads as follows: ‘Sometimes the relationships are purely fizzical’, in which the pronunciation of the word ‘fizzical’ – meaning: having a lot of bubbles – corresponds in its form to the one of ‘physical’ – offering a wider range of meanings such as corporeal, tangible, real, connected with physics, etc. As a result of this word play, the advertisement gets more memorable for the reader’s imagination is being employed creating possible interpretations.
The whole text of the advertisement:
Sometimes the relationships are purely fizzical. Just for the taste of it. Enjoy diet Coke. Worldwide sponsor of the 1988 Olympic Games.

4.13 The last Decade of the 20^th Century

Historical background:

• 
  After the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, the Cold War officially ends
  
• 
  The US becomes involved in the Gulf War
  
• 
  Racial riots in Los Angeles
  
• 
  Use of the Internet grows
  

• 
  Martin Luther King, Jr. (See Appendix 21)
  

This poster shows Martin Luther King, Jr., one of the main characters of the African-American Civil Rights Movement in 1950’s and 1960’s, playing with his little daughter Bernice. The familiarity and nostalgia of the situation might be viewed as the main difference between this advertisement and the ones of the previous decade discussed above, which attracted the reader’s attention by the use of playful language devices. In this advert the impact on the reader is more emotional, he or she can identify himself or herself with the role of a parent or start reminiscing about his or her childhood. By this time, Coca-Cola had already celebrated its centennial, so its role in the lives of Americans was and still is quite essential, this looking-back in time might thus induce a number of generations to contemplate about their lives and the national history.

The verbal message of the advert, situated in the upper-right corner, is quite impossible to be divided into usually analysed constituents: a headline, a body copy and a slogan. The text is an allusion to one of the most famous American speeches, ‘I Have a Dream’ delivered by Martin Luther King, Jr. on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington on 28 August, 1963. The speech stresses the fact that all men are created equal and thus shall be guaranteed the unalienable rights. It became a symbol of the importance of fighting against oppression with nonviolent actions, and a symbol of persistence, unity and brotherhood.
The text of the advert reads as follows:
Let’s do it for our children. Let’s show them what a great world this can be when we join hands and live his dream in harmony.
By linking its product name with the character of Martin Luther King and his ‘dreams’, the indexical relation between the product and something desirable was established, and thus the Coca-Cola Company surely addressed a great number of the advert readers.

• 
  So Does the Bottle (See Appendix 22)
  

The last advert to be analysed is diametrically different from the Martin Luther King’s one. The advertisement employs the simplest form of illustration: an iconic image, it shows a dewy Coca-Cola bottle in a horizontal position. The reader’s attention is attracted by its visual simplicity and the verbal message deploying playful rhetoric of a double meaning.

The text of the advert is brief and reads as follows: ‘Feel like a Coca-Cola? So does the bottle.’ The addressor of the advert is the adman turning to the reader directly by saying: ‘Feel like a Coca-Cola?’, which would the reader – in the given situation when looking at the bottle of ice-cold Coca-Cola – decipher as a question if he or she has a desire for drinking Coca-Cola at the moment, or an offer to take the bottle and satiate his or her thirst. Nevertheless, this expectation is spoilt by the second part of the text imparting: ‘So does the bottle.’, which shows an agreement with the presumed reader’s positive answer to the question asked, however, reacting to the second meaning the question could impart, i.e. : Feel like (similar to) a Coca-Cola?

This double meaning employs a humour ‘ingredient’ to the verbal message of the advert and makes it more memorable, which might consequently influence the reader’s choice while shopping.

4.14 Conclusion – Practical Part

In conclusion, I am going to summarise the main findings of the conducted analyses and answer the questions posed in the introduction to the Practical Part:

• 
  Did the advertising strategies – mainly the visual and verbal messages – of the Coca-Cola Company undergo some changes over time?
  
• 
  What are the reflections of American nationalism, if any, in the advertisements analysed?
  

Let me turn to considering the second question first. The advertisement analyses conducted as well as the assessment of reflections of American nationalism within their content are necessarily subjective unless their constituents can be explicitly defined. The features of American nationalism as characterized in the Practical Part of the thesis can be recognized, with minor exceptions, in both visual and verbal messages of all the chosen advertisements, however the intensity of these reflections varies significantly.

Firstly, as far as the visual messages are concerned, the American patriotic and nationalistic aspects are incorporated into them by means of illustrations depicting famous people of the country such as celebrities, sportspersons, or leaders of social movements; American countryside, natural wonders, prosperous cities, leisure time activities, lifestyles; and various national symbols such as the American bald eagle or a red rose.

Moreover, each of the above mentioned kind of image has its possible connotations reflecting the discussed pieces of American nationalism as well. Let me illustrate it at the example of the poster showing Martin Luther King, Jr. playing with his daughter (Appendix 21), his character is connected with the notions of freedom, democracy and honour; with taking pride in being African American, hard work, community, being exemplary, believing in God. Thus one well-chosen photo can conceal a great number of possible connotations and interpretations. Nevertheless, it depends on the reader and his or her family/ethnic/cultural/religious background and ability to ‘read between the lines’ to discover them.

Secondly, reflections of American nationalism in the verbal messages are apparent pursuant to what vocabulary, hyperbolic claims, metaphors or allusions are used as well as what the overall contents of the messages are. Again, I am going to support this statement with several examples taken from the advertisement analysed. The hyperbolic claims: ‘The most refreshing drink in the world’, ‘unmatched goodness’, ‘In all this big wide thirsty world...there is nothing like that great taste of Coke’ point at the country’s exceptionality and at taking pride in one of her products, the same elements of American nationalism are apparent when the country’s name is used: ‘America’s Preferred Taste’ or ‘Your American fighting men’. Additionally, in allusions to famous American texts, namely the ‘I Have a Dream’ speech and the ‘Home, Sweet Home’ song, the aspects of patriotism, freedom, democracy are to be seen. Lastly, considering the overall story of the ‘Merry Christmas’ advertisement (Appendix 12) speaking highly of American soldiers’ good nature and the ability to spread the good will and spirit everywhere they come, then one can underline the features of messianism, exceptionalism, taking pride in being American, self-conception of being exemplary, etc.

Nevertheless, some of the advertisements analysed do not seem to contain any explicit features of American nationalism, except for the name and the picture of the product, which, I dare say, became both symbols of happiness and friendship as well as the symbols of America.

In relation to the changes of advertising strategies of the Coca-Cola Company over time, I have found out, that after establishing the product in American society, the strategies did not change much within the period analysed. At the beginning of the Coca-Cola Company’s advertising, the marketing approaches had involved similar features to the ones used in the last decade of the twentieth century, with the example that the language had tended to be more informative and explicit - but less playful and poetic. The visual and verbal messages continued employing similar themes, mainly happiness, love, togetherness, friendship, resting and leisure time. From its beginnings, Coca-Cola was pictured as a product helping people to solve problems and overcome obstacles as well as an ingredient needed for being healthy, happy, relaxed and refreshed. Lastly, the strategies –with a few exceptions – contained pride-rising national point view.

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