How would you like to set out on a quest to be on top of the world? A quest is an adventurous journey undergone by the main character or protagonist of a story. The protagonist usually meets with and overcomes a series of obstacles, returning in the end with the benefits of knowledge and experience from his or her quest. It’s time to see yourself as such an adventurer.
Continue reading “On top of the world”
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?
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.
Without much fanfare, Charles A. Lindbergh was born in Detroit, Michigan in 1902. The year in which he turned 25 years old, Charles would receive his fanfare. In fact, because of his actions on May 21, 1927, Lindberg would become a household name throughout the world.
Charles Lindbergh and his aircraft the Spirit of St. Louis took off from a muddy runway at Long Island’s Roosevelt Field on the morning of May 20, 1927. The next day he safely touched down on a runway in Paris, France. An ecstatic crowd of some 150,000 people had gathered at the French airfield to witness the historic moment.
Lindberg was the first person to fly solo nonstop across the Atlantic Ocean. He was an instant worldwide celebrity. One person reportedly said that crowds were “behaving as though Lindbergh had walked on water, not flown over it.”
Five years later, the Lindbergh name would be broadcast around the world once more. This time it was a much darker event. The fame and fortune of Charles’ life had attracted attention by those of the criminal element.
Continue reading “Robbing the cradle”
