Pop culture and society in television commercials from the 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s

¶ … Coca-Cola television commercials for the 70's, 80's, and 90's. You can tell a lot about society from the television commercials that become popular in each decade, and that is certainly true with Coca-Cola. Their ads have evolved from entertaining and even meaningful topics for discussion, to entertainment and big-budget commercials that are funny and light, without an underlying message to the consumer.

Coca-Cola has long been known for creating innovative and entertaining ads. In the 1970s, one of their most memorable commercials was the large group of young people from all over the world, singing, "I'd Like to Buy the World a Coke," spreading a message of peace, harmony, and global understanding. It is one of their most famous commercials and it has endured ever since it first appeared. Another commercial, urging people to "have a few laughs" with a Coke, is a celebration of American tradition and comedy, and shows that Coke is interested in the American family and tradition, and that it does not always have to focus on the image of a bottle or a can to get that message across.

The 80s commercial, for "Classic" Coke, called "Old Friend," is extremely traditional, with images of family, and it talks about "old friends," and even focuses on that 70s commercial from the hillside, being extremely nostalgic and historic. The commercial starts with an old, 1930s or 40s type car, which ads to the overall nostalgic feeling of the commercial.

The 90s commercial is the "Diet Coke-Paula Abdul & Elton John" commercial, with her dancing on a large piano and him singing and playing the piano. This commercial looks like a music video, and it is made strictly to entertain and showcase the product. These two big stars are drinking Diet Coke, so it must be "good" for you, because they are both trim, fit, and energetic in the commercial. This commercial really shows how the Coke commercials have changed through the decades. It is cut and edited much quicker than the other commercials, only holding a scene for a second or two, while the other commercials used longer, slower shots that gave a better idea of the action.

In addition, the other two decades were far more traditional and nostalgic. The 70s commercial used images from as far back as the 1920s, like Charlie Chaplin, and that would appeal to a much older audience, people that would remember the old silent films, or appreciate them. The 80s commercial was traditional and nostalgic, as well. It used young people, (as all their commercials do), but it also seemed to appeal to an older, more mature audience, that would appreciate the theme of "old friends," coming home, and being a family that the commercial implied. The 90s commercial was not nostalgic at all; it was trying to be hip, modern, and certainly appeal to a younger, hipper crowd by using big celebrities that would appeal to young people.