(the persuaders) week two: lovemarks

I was watching a compilation of this year's Superbowl ads the other day and I found this one. It's an advertisement for Coca-Cola soda. In the ad, nothing regarding the quality of the soda is advertised, and this ad instead highlights that worldwide, everyone enjoys Coke the same way no matter who they are. It promises the consumer that if they drink Coke, they can be a part of this loving community that exists despite the differences its members have, and even emphasizes that these differences are what makes the Coca-Cola drinker community so desirable. This advertisement proves that Coca-Cola has made themselves a 'love-marked' brand. The actual product being sold is not advertised at all; the only thing the watcher would know about Coca-Cola's product from watching this ad is that it is a brown liquid that comes in bottles of all shapes and sizes. This means that whoever is trying to sell Coke is relying on the fact that the watcher probably already knows what Coke is, and doesn't need to be convinced of the quality of the product, as they're already familiar with it. The advertiser's aim that people who see this ad will believe that Coca-Cola soda will offer them a sense of community, love and acceptance. This is how all Coke ads are; they rely on the fact that people world-wide are already familiar with their product, and instead promise the consumer these feelings of love and community, without ever actually describing their product. Since Coke is one of the most successful and well-known brands in the world, their strategy of promising support and acceptance in their advertisements has obviously worked, and created a market of Coke consumers that buy Coke only on the basis of acquiring the feelings in the ads, and not on getting a quality product. This shows that Coca-Cola advertisements have successfully transcended from traditional advertisements that promise a superior quality products, to advertising emotions, and in doing so have made themselves a brand with a special spot in their customer's hearts.