A. 

“History of Coca-Cola and their Bottles” by John C. Fine published November 12th

“For God, Country and Coca-Cola: The Unauthorized History of the Great American Soft Drink and the Company That Makes It” published in the Virginia Quarterly Review in February 1994

“Citizen Coke: An Environmental and Political History of the Coca-Cola Company” by Bartow J. Elmore published December 2013

B.

1. B. This ad features Santa Claus holding a glass of Coca-Cola and smiling.  This ad was published in 1931 and actually popularized the modern-day version of Santa Claus that we all recognize. I found the ad interesting because not only is Coca-Cola an icon in itself, it also produced the most popular version of one of the most widely recognized characters. The ad was probably published around the Christmas season. Other similar advertisements featured a bottle of Coca-Cola and cookies set out for Santa instead of the classic “milk and cookies” that is the norm. This ad emphasizes that Coca-Cola should become the new norm and a recognized character in each household, just like Santa Claus. 

 In this iconic commercial from 1971, teenagers from all over the world were assembled and sang “I’d like to buy the World a Coke” on a hilltop in Italy. I included this ad because it was one of the most popular commercials of its time, and is also one of the most iconic ads in history. This commercial was part of Coca-Cola’s “It’s the Real Thing” campaign and emphasized that Coke wants to bring the world together by giving everyone a Coke and keeping everyone company. This was around the same time that the Vietnam War was starting, so Coke wanted to spread a message of peace. Video also found here

In this ad from 2010, a Coke machine in a high school cafeteria surprises many students. The machine gave out free Coca-Cola, sunglasses, flowers, a pizza, a giant sandwich, and making balloon animals. I like this commercial because it is a great example of Coke’s campaign rooted in sharing happiness. I love this campaign and the joy it brings to people via random vending machines or the Coca-Cola happiness truck. Video also found here.

C.

As a consultant for Pepsi Co., Howard Moskowitz would probably disapprove of my choice of Coca-Cola as my brand to study. However, as a prime example of someone who uses horizontal segmentation, he would admire Coca-cola’s domination of the beverage market. With over 108 different drinks on the market, Coca-Cola has great horizontal segmentation. As for the ads I chose, Mr. Moskowitz would probably disapprove of the ads I chose, because they show Coca-Cola as a single product, not a wide expanse of products. He would want ads that show the variety that Coca-Cola offers.