Essay summary (Rubin)

The author begins expressing the idealistic fantasy image of happiness and wholeness that strongly shine through in this visual Coca Cola ad. She points out that “ …advertisements target specific groups. To do so, they include text and images that reflect and appeal to the ideas, values, and stereotypes held by the consumers they wish to attract” (176). She boldly expresses the fact, that in the image of the ad, it is very obviously a point to attract a consumer that wishes to have a white man’s lifestyle. Anything from the idea that drinking Coke together after a long hard day’s work will leave you “work refreshed”. Pushing the image again that hardworking med should share this “refreshing” bond together is also appointed because of the lack in colored people included in the image. Along with the small amount of women; all implemented towards the back of the picture.   She continues to make the claim that Coca cola is and always has been ‘identified with mainstream America.” (178) Smoke stacks that could be sen as pollution now, are present in this ad for the purpose of showing how the country was excelling in many ways such as factory production. “Symbolizing production and the way Americans had come together in a successful effort to win the war.” (178)

This Coca Cola ad is basically claiming it is the spokesperson to refresh hardworking men. In some sense they make the claim that their purpose is to replenish the hard work that they produce. In the 1950’s at an effort to boost the economy from winning the war and beginning to work harder. (Most opportunities came for young white men.) “The kind of diversity that Coke wanted to highlight and appeal to was economic (middle-class and working class) and war- related (civilian and military).” (180) The relaxed expressions in the drawing, show the matter of relief from the war, as well as the content of coming home from a hard day’s work can be better by enjoying a soda.