U.S.

Coke Cans Its History

By David Hancock

November 29, 2000 / 4:35 PM EST / CBS

The Library of Congress is getting a Coke and a smile.

Coca-Cola Co. is donating all 20,000 of its TV commercials promoting the sweet soft drink for preservation at the library. The gift is worth $1 million.

The five-decade collection will include classics such as the 1971 "hilltop" ad, featuring the peace-and-love ditty, "I'd like to teach the world to sing," and the 1979 heart-warmer that said, "Have a Coke and a Smile."

The more than 20,000 ads that Coke is donating include spots from Malaysia, Tunisia and Japan as well as U.S. ads. It will take three to five years to transfer the commercials to the library, said Phil Mooney, a Coke archivist.

The distinctive Coca-Cola bottle and the soft drink's trademarked logo have become ingrained in cultures throughout the world.

Among the spots headed for the Library of Congress are the "Mean Joe Greene" ad, featuring the U.S. football player, and a 1996 commercial released for the Chinese New Year, which features a street festival with a 44-foot-long dragon made from Coke cans.

"This is more than a simple collection of advertising for one company," Mooney said. "It really documents cultural differences of people in different parts of the world."

Patrick Loughney, head of the moving-image section of the Library of Congress, said Coke's archive of its commercials is among the best in corporate America.

The donation is part of Coke's celebration of the 50th anniversary of its first TV ads. Three vintage ads are running on television again, and the library will make eight ads available online.

The donation will arrive in Washington over three to five years as the company digitizes the ads.

It isn't a selective process.

"We're giving the clunkers away with the classics," said Stephen Jones, chief marketing officer.

The Coke donation will join the library's collection of TV ads that includes the Miller Brewing Co.'s "Tastes Great — Less Filling" spots for Lite beer.