Essay: Coca-Cola's 'Reasons to Believe' Campaign - Marketing Strategy

This essay provides a detailed analysis of Coca-Cola's 'Reasons to Believe' marketing campaign, launched in 2011 to celebrate the brand's 125th anniversary. The campaign, created by Ogilvy and Mather, aimed to promote optimism and happiness across various media platforms. The essay examines how the advertisement uses contrasting scenes to highlight the prevalence of good over evil, inspiring positive action and hope. It further explores the application of the three basic principles of advertising—Ethos, Pathos, and Logos—to persuade the audience, with a particular emphasis on Pathos to connect with consumers' emotions. The essay concludes that the campaign effectively conveys an optimistic message, fostering brand recognition and customer engagement by creating happy moments and appealing to universal human values.

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English Assignment
Coca-Cola, an American multinational company, launched an optimistic and positive
marketing campaign entitled ‘Reasons to Believe’ in December 2011 to celebrate 125 years of
Cola-Cola. The advertising campaign of Coca-Cola aimed to show itself as a brand that promotes
and personifies happiness and optimism. The advertising campaign which spreads across a
multitude of platforms including television, digital and social media, has been created by
advertising agency Ogilvy and Mather, with media planning and buying handled by Mediacom.
This commercial of Coca Cola was first aired in the United States of America in December 2011
and struck an instant emotional chord with the audience due to its positive and optimistic
message.
The beautiful thought provoking commercial, which is a personification of optimism,
hope, positivity, love, togetherness and happiness is aimed at all sections of society and has been
successful in persuading its audience of its central claim. The advertisement tries to show that in
spite of all the negativity that prevails in the world, there are reasons to believe in a better and a
happier tomorrow. The advertisement focuses on inspiring optimism and encouraging positive
action. The advertisement features a series of contrasting scenes that show both positive and
negative vignettes of life but tries to show the audience how good prevails over evil, and that

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there is more good than bad in this world. The advertisement is truly a personification of
optimism, hope and positivity. “For every reason to fear, there is a reason for hope. For every
reason to give up or give in, there is a reason to persevere and try harder” (Grow) and when one
feels low and negative, one should remember that there are innumerable reasons to believe in a
better and a happier tomorrow. That is the underlying message behind the topical Coca-Cola
campaign that celebrates the notion that, despite global warming, news of the world coming to an
end, political unrest, corruption and more, the good in today’s world far outweighs the bad. It is a
feel good advertisement and the feel good factor is captured in the positive inspiring message
that radiates hope and optimism and the data taken from the public domain.
The advertisement, which shows a group of children (children signifies hope and are
future of this world) singing a positive optimistic song against a backdrop of images and words,
immediately struck an emotional chord with the audience.
The words in the advertisement include “For every tank being built in the world, 131000
stuffed dolls are made, for each stock market that crashes, there are 10 covers of ‘What a
wonderful world’, for every corrupt person, there are 8000 giving blood. For every fence
someone puts up, 200000 ‘Welcome’ mats are placed. While a scientist designs a new weapon,
1000,000 moms are baking chocolate cakes. More Monopoly money is printed than real dollars.
There are more funny videos on the web than bad news around the world. Love has more hits
than Fear. For every person saying things will get worse, there are 100 couples trying for a baby.
While 1 weapon is sold in the world, 20000 people share a Coke.” (OasisOfficialMusic)
It is hoped that the Coca-Cola campaign, localized versions of which have already run in
seventy countries globally will show Coca-Cola’s position as a brand that promotes optimism

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and happiness. The reason why the Coca-Cola commercial has adapted to myriad cultures and
has been translated from country to country so seamlessly is because human beings across all
cultures are more alike than different.
The thought provoking advertisement of Coca-Cola made us feel positive and hopeful
and elicited a response, wherein people started talking about the advertisement. This is very
crucial and brands strive to achieve this effect wherein people start talking about a brand, which
is extremely important because it leads to brand recognition and develops an ethotic connection
between consumers and the brand, which is a goal of all advertisers, to get people to talk about a
brand thereby leading to recognition and popularity of the brand. Recognition and popularity of a
brand leads to an increase in sales of the product which is the goal of all advertisers and
marketing professionals. The advertisement apart from generating excitement among the people
around its product, also aims to engage its customers. They work to attract new customers as
well as retain the current customers.
The three basic principles of advertising – Ethos, Pathos and Logos, have been
incorporated in this advertisement of Coca-Cola to persuade the audience in to buying Coke and
also believing in a better tomorrow. “Good advertising techniques is when one balances all three
principles of advertising in an advertisement. However, using Ethos, Pathos and Logic in an
advertisement sometimes means featuring one advertising technique prominently. In the case of
Coca-Cola, Pathos is used more than Ethos and Logos in its advertisements.”(Kodak, Omondi
and Peter)

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Ethos or ethical appeal in advertising is done by referring to ethical values or is based on
the credibility of the brand. Ethos calls upon the ethics or what one would say the values of the
brand. Coca-Cola is a well-recognized brand and has a strong and a positive image worldwide.
Coca-Cola also has a youthful image as well as a customer friendly image. The name and logo of
Coca-Cola are therefore used in this advertisement to create a connection with the audience and
to foster a spirit of faith and trust in the audience.
Pathos refers to the use of emotions in messages to persuade the audience into buying a
product. Pathos elicits emotions in the audience which in turn leads to a consumer buying a
product. Coca-Cola uses Pathos the most in its advertisements and excels in it. The
advertisements of Coca- Cola have since time immemorial appealed to the way people feel. It is
an advertisement but it appeals to the consumer’s desire for happiness. The audience connects
with the brand because of how the advertisement makes the audience feel. Optimism, hope,
positivity, love, faith, togetherness, happiness and more are the emotions that one feels after
watching this advertisement. The moment a consumer likes an advertisement and can relate to
the thoughts and values behind an advertisement, more often than not a consumer reaches for the
product and procures it.
Logos or logical appeal is about the use of logic to persuade the audience to buy a
product that a company is offering. Coca Cola’s logic is not just about quenching thirst. It is
about creating happy moments with family and friends and loved ones. The advertisement of
Coca Cola, apart from generating optimism, hope, love, faith togetherness in consumers is full of
happiness and joy. The happy positive song complements the mood and tone of the
advertisement. This advertisement of Coca Cola was aired in the United States of America in

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December 2011. The advertisement thus reflects the use of Ethos, Pathos and Logos very
effectively in conveying a beautiful optimistic message.
References:
Grow, Jean M. "American advertising and the politics of consumption 1." Global Advertising
Practice in a Borderless World. Routledge, 2017. 59-72.
Kodak, Benard, Omondi Oketch, and Peter M. Matu. "Innovation in the Language of Coca Cola
Television Advertisements." (2015).
OasisOfficialMusic. Coca-Cola Commercial: "Reasons To Believe" 2011 (HD) English Version
(Whatever / Oasis). 2011, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1vKDOWAf5M8.