A Coke and A Smile (Part 1 of 2)

From 1971's Hilltop Song Commercial:

"It's the Real Thing" (Coca-Cola).

Photo Credit:money.ca.msn.com

APPLE TREES AND HONEY BEES

_____________________________

Poets are our original systems thinkers.  They contemplated the world in which we live and feel obliged to interpret and give expression to it in a way that makes the reader understand how that world turns.  Poets, those unheralded systems thinkers, are our true digital thinkers.”  Sidney Harman (Harman, as cited by Pink, 2006, p.143)

Since the days of ancient history, poetry has been one of the most powerful tools of translating our stories from generation to generation.  After all, rhymes are easier to remember and translate than traditional narratives, and through mnemonics, there is less room for error when being repeated.  Eventually, many poems were translated into song, making their stickiness even greater.  These poems and songs told tales of joy and sorrow, hope and promise, chances killed and dreams fulfilled.

When mulling over the correlation of this to pop culture, one particular commercial from the 1970s that sang about hope and peace leapt to mind.  It was a time of anti-war and civil rights movements, communal living and a longing for interracial, global harmony.  Originally a jingle for Coca-Cola (“I’d Like to Buy the World a Coke,”) the famous “1971 Hilltop” song was called “I’d Like to Teach the World to Sing” and its visuals, words and music married the idea of happiness and universal love with society’s profound yearning for community and human and spiritual connection (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_EY8DFqFpws).  The song, performed by a group called “New Seekers,” sold 12 million copies.

This song connected Coca-Cola with a positive social message that offered comfort and warmth during tumultuous times.  As one of the most successful commercials in television history, it attempted to open minds to the idea of accepting the differences in human beliefs and cultures.  Using a sunrise (or is a sunset?) setting on a hilltop in the “neutral” country of Italy, the visual display of men and women--defined through clothing, style and skin tone--nurtured the idea that we are all connected regardless of gender, race, religion or country.

As Daniel Pink says in his book, A Whole New Mind:  Why Right Brainers Will Rule the Future, “Story exists where high concept and high touch intersect.  Story is high concept because it sharpens our understanding of one thing by showing it in the context of something else.” 

What made the “Hilltop” commercial so profound was its ability to convey a universal message of peace and acceptance in context and to deliver them with emotional impact that has since been carried on for four generations. 

In the part two of this blog, I will share how Coca-Cola created a refreshingly winning follow up commercial that aired only one time on broadcast television.  They not only “shared the love,” but placed its message into perfect context.

References

Pink, D. (2006). A Whole New Mind: Why Right-Brainers Will Rule the Future. New York, NY: Riverhead Books.

ALL TOGETHER NOW!   

"I'd Like To Teach The World To Sing"  (LYRICS - New Seekers, 1971)

I'd like to build the world a home
and furnish it with love
grow apple trees and honey bees
and snow white turtle doves

I'd like to teach the world to sing
in perfect harmony
I'd like to hold it in my arms
and keep it company

I'd like to see the world for once
all standing hand in hand
and hear them echo through the hills
for peace throughout the land

That’s the song I hear
Let the world sing today
a song of peace
that echoes on
and never goes away

I'd like to teach the world to sing
in perfect harmony

I'd like to teach the world to sing
in perfect harmony

I'd like to build the world a home
and furnish it with love
grow apple trees and honey bees
and snow white turtle doves

I'd like to teach the world to sing
in perfect harmony
I'd like to hold it in my arms
and keep it company