Commercial: Coca-Cola Polar Bears

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KnY6LCubqRI

In 1993, Coca-Cola presented their new advertising campaign that introduced a commercial that would be come the most popular and loved symbols of Coca-Cola; the “Northern Lights” and its polar bears. This commercial was a part of the “Always Coca-Cola” campaign created by Creative Artists Agency and Edge Creative. This campaign included 27 commercials, all designed to appeal to different yet selective audiences, that included new technological approaches, such as computer animation. These commercials would run in countries and locations around the world, appealing to all age groups and cultures.
These commercials were created by Ken Stewart, whose inspiration came from two places: his dog (who resembled a polar bear) and the idea of drinking coke while watching movies in the theater. Mr. Stewart combined the ideas into one, with the polar bears drinking coca-cola and watching their own form of movies – the Northern Lights.
The creation of the commercials was completed by the animation company Rhythm & Hues, each one taking approximately twelve weeks to produce. This production state included storyboards, scripts and state-of-the art technology and computer programs that were just beginning to make their way onto the market place. While the commercials were in the production stages, Mr. Stewart turned to another important aspect of the commercials – the music. Mr. Stewart enlisted the help of Glen Rueger from Outside Music to create an original piece of music that would continue on the magical, surreal feel of the commercials.
Mr. Stewarts commercials were considered a success and went on to design six more commercials, two of which would premier at the 1994 Olympic Games. A total of 27 commercials staring the beloved Polar Bears would be created, all making their mark in history and on the hearts of people around the world.
Believed to be one of the best Coca-Cola advertising campaigns, “Always Coca-Cola” is a slogan that still pops into the minds of people today when asked to say the first thing they think of when shown a bottle of Coca-Cola. This goes to show the impact of the traditional Coke and the value it has in the hearts of millions around the world.