Coca-Cola Uses Animation to Good Effect

Advertiser: Coca-Cola

Agency: Edge Creative, Santa Monica

Challenge: Find ways to keep the 5-year-old “Always” campaign fresh.

The Ads: Retro-style animation and digital special effects figure prominently in a batch of 11 new spots. In one animated spot, Super Mom interrupts her galactic battle against alien invaders to attend her son’s soccer game. The spot is a sequel to a previous Super Mom commercial. In another ad created with special effects, skydivers wearing brown, white and red clothing float into formation, creating a Coke bottle in the sky. A commercial aimed specifically at 12- to 19-year-olds features four hungry animatronic birds in a nest, waiting for mother to bring them Coke.

Comment: Coke’s marketing goal is to become ubiquitous, and its advertising illustrates the idea. Coke is found in bird nests, amusement parks, ball fields and space. Because viewers are familiar with Coke, the purpose of the ads is to remind consumers about the brand and to strengthen its association with adventure and fun. None of the ads seem destined to become as popular as the computer-animated polar bears that appeared in 1993 ads. But only one ad is a clunker--a spot where a young guy inexplicably falls for a steely red-haired female robot.

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