As Belch and Belch (631) note, "music and sports are universal languages for teens." By creating this association, Coca-Cola is increasing its appeal to the young market. In saying this, it must be noted that music and sports stars and recognized as idols for many teens. This includes that teens look to these stars or celebrities to determine what is considered cool. Music and sports celebrities that have featured in advertisements for Coca-Cola include Christina Aguilera, Michael Jordan, Shaquille O'Neal, and singer Mya. By having these celebrities endorse the product, Coca-Cola is communicating to the young audience that the product is considered cool and linked with success. It must be noted that the celebrities that endorse Coca-cola also tend to be young and attractive. This shows that the product is not just being positioned to appeal to all people who consider athletes and celebrities successful. Instead, it is specifically being positioned to appeal to a young audience. This also reflects the fact that young people are more image conscious and so more likely to make purchase decisions based on issues like perceived appeal of the product. The final point to be made relates to the way that teens are presented in Coca-Cola advertisements. It is seen that in advertisements where celebrities are not used, the people in the advertisements tend to be young, attractive, and fun-loving. In short, the image presented is of the "perfect" young person. This often includes teens in groups taking part in fun activities. There is also often a male-female element, where males and females are having fun together. In addition, the individuals in the advertisements are always attractive and appealing. This appeals directly to a young audience because it represents what they strive for. Young people want to fit in with their friends, be accepted, be considered attractive, be active and carefree, and possibly most importantly, have fun. This is the view presented in the advertisements and it appeals directly to a young audience because it links with their needs. This shows how...

The other important point is that most Coca-Cola advertisements feature young people in groups. This is important because the other features seen in advertisements can also apply to older individuals. For example, older individuals can still be influenced based on a desire to feel carefree, attractive, or fun-loving. The one aspect that differs for a teen and adult audience is the focus on fitting in. For an adult audience, most individuals will have a need to achieve personal success, with this overriding the need to be accepted by others. This is not the case for most teens, with the need to fit in and be accepted by peers a major motivation. This means that the group aspect of Coca-Cola advertisements is designed to appeal specifically to teen, with this showing that Coca-Cola specifically tries to attract customers at an early age.
It has now been seen that Coca-Cola advertise and use media specifically to attract young consumers. This is seen in the way that advertising campaigns are directed at a young audience. This is also seen in the way that Coca-Cola links itself with products that appeal to young people. Finally, it has been seen Coca-Cola advertisements are designed to appeal to the specific needs of most young people, especially the need to fit in and be accepted. This shows that Coca-Cola's image as a brand connected to youth is no accident. This image is something specifically created, with the brand designed to appeal to young people and attract consumers at an early age.

Works Cited

Belch, G.E., & Belch, M.A. Advertising and Promotion. Boston, MA: McGraw-Hill, 1998.

Friedman, W. "Product Integrators Tackle Learning Curve." Advertising Age 21 October 2002: 18.

Grimm, M. "Drink Me: What Becomes a Legend Most? For Coca-Cola, It's All in the Package." American Demographics, Feb 2000: 78-80.

Tully, S. "Teens: The Most Global Market of All." Fortune 16 May 1994: 90-97.