The solution to all the world's problems...

Coca-Cola

If Coke's television commercials and ad campaigns are any indication, the key to world peace is on the shelf of almost every American grocery store, around the next corner in a vending machine, or perhaps you're even drinking it at this very moment.

I once saw a man walking down a crowded city street, drinking a bottle of coke, and single-handedly righting every wrong he encountered. He stopped a bank robbery, returned an old lady's purse, helped a cat down out of a tree (I might have made that last one up), and before I knew it, the entire city was out in the street, celebrating and laughing. And all because one man decided to grab a bottle of coke and make his world a better place.

I also saw a woman who would walk around singing and passing out bottles of coca-cola. The song she sang went something like this: "I wish I could share all the love that's in my heart...remove all the walls that keep us apart..." I guess sharing coke is the next best thing.

And did you know that coca-cola is so powerful that it even brings peguins and polar bears together?

How about this famous jingle:
"The sun will always shine the birds will always sing,
As long as there is Coke, there's always the real thing..."

Take a look at this description of a coca-cola commercial from the 80's:
"I clearly remember a very moving Coke ad featuring children of many different nationalities. It started with one girl singing, then many more children joined in. The song went like this: I am the future of the world I am the hope of my nation I am tomorrow's people I am the new inspiration (At this point all the other young people began to enter, united by the Coca Cola they carried in their hands.) And we've got a song to sing to you We've got a message to bring to you Please let there be for you and for me A tomorrow ( tomorrow) If we all can agree there'll be sweet harmony Tomorrow (tomorrow) And we all will be there, Coca Cola to share Feeling so real and so true Promise us tomorrow And we'll build a better world for you."

What in the world does Coca-Cola have to do with building a better tomorrow for kids?!?! How does a soft drink bring us together? What connection is there between a can of Coke and pleading for a better future?

There is no connection--until these things are placed together in these ads. I think this has something to do with what we were talking about on Friday. Symbols take on different meanings when they're used in a certain way. The creators of coke commercials have worked very hard to make sure that their product becomes associated with happiness, peace, and the good life. All advertisers do this. They know that we see one thing in the ad and think of other things connected to it... They show the woman singing and passing out bottles of coke and making people smile, and we see a loving, caring person, making an effort to live a good life and make her world happier. The result: Coke=happiness. And if you've seen any of the other commercials, you know it also equals unity, community, peace, and fun.