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does; that’s the message of its multicultural “America the
Beautiful” Super Bowl commercial. “You’re on,” conceived
by New York advertising firm Droga5, which declined to
comment for this article, represents the first time Coke may
have tried to push boundaries.
In a statement, the company says its campaign targets
“ambitious young achievers from all walks of life.” Stuart
Kronauge, general manager for sparkling beverages at
Coca-Cola North America, told the New York Times that
“You’re on” references Diet Coke’s “uplift for those moments
when you need to be on.” The company is mum on whether
the cocaine reference was intentional. It also stresses that
it “in no way endorses or supports the use of any illegal
substance.”
The average Coca-Cola drinker is 56 years old, according
to research done by marketing consultant and author Martin
Lindstrom. And Coke desperately needs to lure younger
consumers, specifically millennials. According to a Gallup
poll, 63 percent of Americans 18 to 29 years old still drink
soda regularly, the most of any age group. Diet soda drinkers
have a higher income level (more than $75,000) and are
more health-conscious than those who drink regular soda,
which may explain Diet Coke’s youthful New York- and San
Francisco-focused campaign.
Coca-Cola is going back to its roots. All the way to when
its original product, invented by a morphine addict, actually
contained cocaine. At least that’s what the company appears
to be doing with billboards and signs proclaiming, “You’re
on. Diet Coke.”
Coke’s campaign was launched with a commercial that
aired during the Sochi Olympic Games. In it, Taylor Swift
takes a swig of Diet Coke before being told, “You’re on”—
as in, it’s time to go onstage. But the print version of the
campaign evokes an entirely different message. One version
that appeared on the side of a Manhattan bus stop reads,
“You moved to New York with two turntables, a microphone
and a really cool DJ name. You’re on. Diet Coke.” Another
says: “You moved to New York with a portfolio, a pair of
skinny jeans and strong opinions on hemlines. You’re on.
Diet Coke.” San Francisco gets its own version: “You moved
to San Francisco with an engineering degree, an app idea
and an investor named Nana. You’re on. Diet Coke.” Ditch
the period and the word “diet,” and you’ll see what the
problem is.
“This is risky for Coca-Cola,” says Kelly O’Keefe, a
professor of brand management at Virginia Commonwealth
University’s Brandcenter. “I’m not sure they intended it to be
directly hinting at the drug culture—I’ll give them the benefit
of the doubt—but this isn’t a place Coca-Cola should be
going.”
Coke usually runs safe advertisements that tap into feelings
of nostalgia, unity, and familiarity. For the most part, it still
In the pantheon of misunderstood advertisements, Coke’s
“You’re on” campaign is a minor flub. Compared with
some disasters—such as the McDonald’s (MCD) short-lived
2005 “Double cheeseburger? I’d hit it” ad (apparently, the
marketing department misunderstood the term), or the time
Spirit Airlines (SAVE) tried to joke about the 2010 BP oil spill
by inviting people to fly to Fort Lauderdale to “check out
the oil on our beaches”—Coca-Cola is getting off easy. Its
level of embarrassment could’ve been worse. For one thing,
it could’ve said, “You’re on New Coke.”