Key facts
| Brand | Coca-Cola |
| Year | 1971 |
| Agency | McCann Erickson |
| Copy/initiator | Bill Backer (then creative director) |
| Art direction | Harvey Gabor |
| Songwriting | Roger Cook, Billy Davis and others |
What is it about and how was it made?
According to Coca-Cola’s own account, the idea came in January 1971 while travelling: Bill Backer, then creative director at McCann Erickson, jotted the first lines on a napkin. His flight had been diverted to Ireland because of fog.
The idea became a song about togetherness. A Columbia University case study describes a writing session with Roger Cook and Billy Davis in which the melody was based on an earlier Cook-Greenaway song and reworked to fit the slogan “It’s the Real Thing”.
In the spot, young people from around the world stand on a hillside and sing. The song was also released outside advertising, including by The New Seekers and the Hillside Singers. Coca-Cola says it donated the first $80,000 in royalties to UNICEF. The spot later featured in the finale of “Mad Men”.
What brands can take away (our interpretation)
- Music, image and message work together, which is why the spot survives decades.
- The idea is a value (togetherness), not the product. That makes it easy to connect to.
- A song that works outside advertising extends the effect enormously.
Planning your own spot? The TV spot production guide explains the process, the agency brief template helps with the commission.
Sources
- Coca-Cola Company: Creating “I’d Like to Buy the World a Coke”
- Coca-Cola Company: Origins of the iconic Hilltop commercial
- Columbia University: Coca-Cola advertising case
This article only states facts we can substantiate from the sources linked below. The section “What brands can take away” is our own interpretation.