Coca-Cola and the Wonderful World of Film

Those who didn’t know me very well growing up are sure that I wanted to be a lawyer, mostly because I was eloquent, enjoyed debates and read widely, but they were wrong. I was a good student and this meant that my career choices were severely limited to medicine, engineering and law. Yes, I excelled in music and drama and starred in pretty much every play and was active in choir, but this was viewed, even by myself, as a hobby that would add to my being well-rounded. I sometimes wondered what a career in the arts would be like but would banish the thought before it bewitched me and I ended up as one of those starving artistes.

I ended up a filmmaker and writer and have not regretted it (okay, at least as much as I thought I would). I’ve had a couple of great influences that pushed me in that direction, some of them individuals and others artistic works. One of the things that has stood out for me has been the longevity of some of the works created. The staying power of iconic films like Casablanca, Psycho, Taxi, The Wizard of Oz, It’s A Wonderful Life, Raging Bull, Star Wars among others has always fascinated me. Like any other creative, I am working towards having my work being recognized and remembered long after I am gone. It’s idealistic, I know, as chances are that my work may not be as well-received or become as iconic as I’d like but a girl can still dream.

When it comes to the iconic, no one does it better than Coca-Cola. Introduced in 1886, Coca-Cola has become one of the biggest brands on earth. With a long list of appearances in iconic films including Jaws, E.T., Taxi Driver and Breathless. Coke took product placement to another level and in some films such as The Gods Must Be Crazy, a coke bottle is basically a supporting character. In film school, I appreciated these little things and wondered if I’d ever be able to tell iconic stories and work with iconic brands. It’s still a dream I’m working towards.

Another thing Coca-Cola has excelled at is their ads. Christmas in my family wouldn’t be complete without watching the classic ‘Holidays are coming’ coke ad on TV. As kids, we would literally sit and wait for the ad and sing along as we chugged down our cokes. Another ad that has in recent years become a favourite is the ‘Brrr’ ad. It was creative and entertaining and struck a chord with a lot of people. Lately, I’m a fan of the ‘Brotherly Love’ and ‘Taste The Feeling’ ads.

Coca-Cola is at the intersection of popular culture especially now with projects like Coke Studio. As a creator and consumer of pop culture, it’s an interesting journey to follow and perhaps one day I’ll have the opportunity to have a closer view.