Throughout the years, the slogans used in advertising for Coca-Cola have reflected not only the brand, but the times. Slogans provide a simple, direct way to communicate about Coca-Cola
The 1906 slogan, “The Great National Temperance Beverage,” reflects a time when the society in the United States was veering away from alcoholic beverages, and Coca-Cola provided a nice alternative.
Other slogans have concerned our sales figures, such as “Three Million a Day” from 1917 or “Six Million a Day” from 1925. In terms of drinks a day, that’s a vast difference from the one billion a day mark The Coca-Cola Company passed in 1997.
Some slogans for Coca-Cola have concentrated on the quality of the product, its refreshing taste, or even its role in entertaining, as in 1948’s “Where There’s Coke There’s Hospitality.”
In 1985, the introduction of a new taste of Coca-Cola (commonly called new Coke® ) and the reintroduction of Coca-Cola classic and the original formula led to multiple slogans. 1985 featured “America’s Real Choice,” while by 1986, two slogans were used to differentiate the brands, with “Red, White & You” for Coca-Cola classic and “Catch the Wave” for Coca-Cola.
Some advertisements themselves rise to the level of memorable slogans. The 1971 “Hilltop” ad featured a song with the words “I’d Like to Buy the World a Coke.” Although that wasn’t an actual slogan (the ad in fact was part of the “It’s the Real Thing” campaign), the ad and song lyrics are still so well known today that the lyrics are considered a slogan to many.
