Where is “the real thing”? There are many things in this world that are not real, but society goes to great lengths to convince us otherwise. How about a real thirst-quenching example?
I’ll drink to that!
Coca-Cola’s ‘It’s the Real Thing’ campaign was a major branding tool for Coke as it entered the 1970s. It heralded a new direction for the soft drink company which responded to research that showed young people were seeking the real, the original, and the natural as an escape from phoniness.
The rebranding started in the mid-1960s under the codename ‘Project Arden’. It was four years in the making and marked the largest ever program of its kind. It incorporated everything from identity and packaging, vehicle detailing, uniforms, and stationery, to the brand’s advertising and communications strategies.
New graphics included a bold curve design known as the ‘dynamic contour’ which reflected the familiar shape of the Coke bottle. This identity system was then brought into a new TV campaign, which used close-ups of still imagery depicting moments of ‘real life’ as shot by a range of photographers who were well known for conveying a candid aesthetic in their work.
The inherently catchy song, “I’d Like to Buy the World a Coke“, was recorded subtly inserting in the last refrain, “It’s the real thing, Coke is what the world wants today”. This song went on to become the stuff of an advertising legend.